A different person, same Games
by Victoire Collins
Summary: What if Katniss wasn't the one who volunteered for Prim? What if they had an adoptive sister? What will happen during the 74th HUnger Games? And during the Quarter Quell? What will happen with the rebellion? What will Snow think about her? Everything started with a bomb, will eveything finish the same way?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Falling from the sky.

I'm falling.

My desperate hands try to find something able to stop my falling, but my brain knows that's something useless. I'm in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, near Australia, seriously what can I find?

Then it hits me, Australia, The Great Coral Reef, if I fall near to eat, I'm dead.

I forced my eyes to open, and what I see is not the deep blue of the ocean, instead I can see green, white and more colors that don't even look real. Pink are too shiny, greens are extremely bright and yellows hurt my eyes. I'm falling in some strange kind of city. Oh my god, I'm dead.

No, I jumped from the plane because I wanted to live, now I'm not going to lose all my hopes, I have to live, I have to survive but the ground is near it will be better if I close my eyes.

I'm just starting to feel the changes in temperature, pressure, and oxygen levels that indicate how near to the ground I am when my back hits the floor and I get unconscious. The last thing I see is an old man that is standing a few meters away from me.

The first thing that I see when I wake up is white. I am trying to figure out where I am when I hear a voice.

-Who are you? - Says the voice in a hard tone. - Where have you come from?

I'm not sure if I will be able to respond so I'm surprised when I find myself answering:

-Why should I answer to you? I don't even know you.

I make an effort to sit down but I notice that I have some kind of belt around the waist, the voice noticed my efforts and pressed a button in the wall that made the bed in which I am move and now I'm looking directly into a pair of snake-like eyes that belong to an old man whit some white hairs and little wrinkles around his eyes and in his forehead. I'm not afraid of him, but there's something in his eyes that makes me think he is used to authority.

-Do you want to play a game? – His tone makes me angry, he is talking to me like if I was a baby. – Rules are simple: I will tell you something about me and then you will tell me something about you. Will you play?

- Yes. I don't have any other option, right?

-My name is Coriolanus Snow. What's your name?

- Carolyne. – His face says that he wants to know my full name. – Carolyne Jane Sunshine.

- I'm 53 years old, and you?

-I'm 10 and a half.

He starts laughing and that makes my anger grow. Yes I'm ten but I'm not a normal girl and he doesn't know it, so I decide to say:

-Yes. I'm ten. Do you have a problem with it? Perhaps I can kill you.

- No, of course no.

-The why the hell are you laughing?

-I'm not laughing of you, I'm laughing at myself.

I must have looked confused because he continue saying:

-Because a ten year-old girl is threatening me.

-I'm not a common girl, you should know it.

- And what's the reason you consider yourself different from other girls?

He said this in such an annoying tone that I answer:

-My mind works in a different way than yours and I have been trained to be a spy, which means I know how to kill you in many different ways.

-So you are a spy? From what country?

-France, and I want to know where I am.

-You are in the Capitol, the city that rules over Panem.

Capitol, Panem, what the hell is that? I'm starting to think if this guy is insane.

He looks at me and says:

-Nobody knows about us, not even the UN or the USA, we are invisible to all the Outer Word.

-If nobody in Panem knows about the "Outer World", how do you know about the UN and the USA?

-I have gone there many times, and in that way you are in clear disadvantage, I know your world but you don't know mine.

He is right, I'm in clear disadvantage, he can kill me in seconds and he knows this, even if I tried to escape his soldiers would find me. My mind tells me that if I want to survive I need to look innocent and harmless, even if that hurts my pride.

I'm starting to think what I should do now when his voice surprises me again.

-What are we going to do with you, Miss Sunshine?

I don't answer, because I know that in the moment my mouth opens I will start shouting bad words at him and that won't help me look innocent and harmless.

-I think I'll send you to one of the districts, but first you should learn something about Panem and hits history.

Then he stands up, turns around and walks to the door. Few seconds after he walks away I start to feel dizzy and then I faint.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Panem's history.**

**I'm grateful of the ones that review, English is not my mother language and any suggestions just review.**

**I have no copyright and Suzanne Collins is the owner of The Hunger Games.**

**Here is the second chapter. Enjoy¡**

When I woke up again, Snow is in one side of the bed, reading a book. He realizes that I had woken up and starts talking:

-I'll tell you the history of Panem, you will learnt it and then you are having an interview, you will tell the whole country what I say and then I'll send you to one of the districts with an adoptive family.

-It seems we have lots of thing to do, President Snow. - I said with my most childlike and annoying tone. - Don't you think we should start now?

- Yes we should start. Eighty years ago, the people and the government of this island started a fight for the control of the natural resources of this big island. The people won and a new government came to the power. The result was Panem, a shiny capitol and 13 surrounding districts.

-And what is the main industry of the districts?

-District 1 main industry is luxury, District 2 masonry, District 3 Fabrics and technology, District 4 fishing, District 5 power, District 6 transport, District 7 lumber, District 8 textiles, District 9 grain, District 10 livestock, District 11 agriculture, District 12 mining and District 13 graphite. The districts and the Capitol lived in peace, but on the terrible 5th of July, District 13 rebelled against the Capitol and after 13 the other Districts rebelled too, in a war known as the Dark Days. The Capitol won and District 13 was eliminated. As a reminder of the rebels who died in the Dark Days, the Capitol started with Panem's most important tradition: The Hunger Games.

- And what are the Huger Games?

They are an athletic competition between the Districts. Each district sends one young woman and one young man called tributes, and they must fight to the death in a stadium called the arena. The winner receives fame and fortune. There have been 68 Hunger Games.

-So in 68 years there have been 68 victors.

-Yes.

-And how do they select the tributes?

-With a special ceremony called the Reaping. Each person who is 12 years old must have a paper with his or her name in a glass ball, and on the 5th of July, the escort of each district takes out a paper, reads the person's name in it, and the tribute goes to the Capitol.

-And that's all? Your name goes out of the glass ball and then you're dead?

-Yes. I have told you the history of my country, Miss Sunshine, now it's your turn to tell me your story.

**So please review, and I'll keep updating as soon as possible, but don't expect me to do it daily.**

**Taylor**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: My life.**

**Here's my new update. Hope you like.**

**Enjoy. XD**

-Miss Sunshine, it's your turn now. Please start.

-I was born in Paris, France 10 year ago. My Mother was named Anna Marie Sunshine, my Father was named Charles Sunshine, and my sister was named Anna Margaret Sunshine and she was 2 years older than me. My parents worked on the Secret Service and my sister and I were trained to be spies. When I was 8 years old, Margaret got sick and she died, the next year my parents got sick to and died, I was sent to an orphan and I was adopted by a Russian couple, The Romanoff. We were on a plane in our way to Australia, when I felt the bomb, I moved to the exit and I jumped before the plane exploded.

-What an interesting story, Miss Sunshine but I have a question: What was the illness that killed your whole family?

-A strange kind of pneumonia.

-Ok, Miss Sunshine, the doctor said you are able to move now. You can do whatever you want, but there are some doors closed, don't try to open them.

-Yes, President Snow.

-One more thing, your room is down the hall, first door at the left.

-Thank you, President Snow. I think I'm going there now.

Snow left the room.

I walk down the hall and I open the first door at the left. I expected a white room, but instead of white, there were different shades of blue and green.

I opened the wardrobe and I found lots of different dresses. Great, I hate dresses.

I walked to the bathroom inside my room and closed the door, I took off my clothes and then I got into the shower. It was incredible; there were hundreds of different buttons that combined the temperature, the pressure and the soaps in the water. I pressed some buttons and when I finished, I walked out of the shower and dried my body with a towel and then noticed a kind of box with the shape of a hand, I put my hand there and few seconds later my hair was dry and untangled. I walked to the wardrobe and chose a white and green dress that matched my eyes.

I need to know the whole truth about the districts but I don't fully trust President Snow, I must see if there is a library here.

I started searching for something I could read when I saw an enormous wooden door; I opened it and enter the room.

It was full of bookshelves, and all were full of books of different sizes, shapes and colors but I didn't know where to find the book I needed.

I started walking between the shelves when I found one with a glass cover, and a sign that read:

Panem Archive.

I was about to open it when a little plastic box at one of the corners caught my attention; I examined it more carefully and realized it was an alarm, I climbed to a shelve that was next to it and turn off the alarm. Carefully, I opened the glass door and looked at the books.

Dark Days, Hunger Games, District 12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,Capitol, Victors, Census, Quarter Quell; those were some of the titles and there were some movies, like 73th Hunger Games and 1st Hunger games.

I took Census and District 1 and started reading, and then I read the other books from the Districts and even the Dark Days, Quarter Quell and Hunger Games.

It was true what I have told him; my mind works in a different way, I can't forget, everything gets stuck in my mind forever. So after reading the books I knew the name of every person in Panem.

**I know this is super short but I had no ideas please suggest and review. Any mistake please tell me because English is not my mother language.**

**Taylor.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Dinner with Snow.**

**Please review and enjoy. ****J**

After reading the books I returned to my room and at 8 o'clock I was called for dinner.

The dining room was gorgeous; black wood furniture with glass ornament and a big window in one of the sides of the room. President Snow was sitting in a tall chair and when he saw me he asked me to sit. I sit in front of him and waited.

-Miss Sunshine, you are having an interview tomorrow, I'll send you your dialogues and I want you to learn them. If you said something else in front of the country you will be dead.

-Which district will be my new home?

-We are going to have a kind of reaping, but instead of tributes we will choose a District and a new family for you.

-Are you going to show that "reaping" to the whole country?

-Yes.

In this moment a girl appears next to the door carrying a silver tray with glass and a jar full of something that seems to be orange juice; she puts the tray in the table and goes. Then a boy appears carrying another silver tray with the food, he puts a plate in front of President Snow and other plate in front of me.

My plate is full of a kind of soup that tastes like spring, it was delicious. I have almost finished the soup when President Snow talks again.

-Do you know who they are?

-No. I have never seen them.

-They are avoxes.

-What?

-They are traitors and now they cannot talk.

Suddenly my appetite is gone and Snow seems to notice it. I'm about to return to my room when the avox girl appears again this time carrying two plates with roast beef, mashed potatoes and vegetables with butter. I'm hungry so I decide to stay.

We finish eating and then the avox boy comes in with the dessert; chocolate cake. It taste delicious and I finish it quickly. When I finish, I notice that President Snow is looking at me and I wonder why so I asked him:

-What are you looking President Snow.

-I'm just looking at that wonderful locket you have around your neck.

-Oh, it was my Mother's favorite locket. It's all I have from her.

-Well, Miss Sunshine, I think it's time to sleep; tomorrow we have a very important day.

I stood up and started walking towards my room when I arrived I sat on the bed and few minutes later I was fully asleep.

**Yes, I know this chapter was very short too, but I promise I'll make a longer chapter next time.**

**Please review.**

**Taylor.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Interview, train and a new place. **

**So, here is my new chapter, please review and enjoy.**

When I open my eyes, I can see the sunlight, coming through the window. I'm still tired so I'm about to sleep again when a soft knock at the door wakes me up again; I open the door and I see three strange smiling figures in front of me; I walk a few steps backward at the same time as one of the figures says in that ridiculous Capitol accent:

-My name is Venia; she is Octavia and he is Flavious. We are going to be your Prep team for today!

Venia is a thin woman with blue turquoise hair and some little silver tattoos in her face; Octavia is more like chubby and she has olive green hair and Flavious has some orange ringlets that match in perfection his purple clothes. I was so focused in their surgical alterations that I didn't notice that they were taking me out of my room and that we were heading toward a strange transport that seemed to be underground; we got into the "train" and few seconds later we were on another building.

-Here we are!-Venia said in her Capitol accent. – This is the Training Center.

-We are so lucky we are here. - Flavious comments in an excited voice. - This building is usually used only during the Hunger Games.

"Used only during the Hunger Games", this phrase makes my curiosity to burst into the surface of my being, so I cannot stop myself of asking:

-And who uses this building?

Only tributes, mentors, escorts, stylist, prep teams are allowed to use this building, – Octavia tells me. – But this is a very special occasion so we are going to work here, just for today.

We get into a glass elevator and Venia presses a button; the elevator starts moving immediately and we can see the whole city, when we arrive to the floor we are supposed to be in they get out of the elevator and start talking about a party that went wrong, I'm busy watching everything that surrounds me that I don't even hear what they are saying to me.

At some moment, Octavia makes me enter to a bathroom and she starts filling the bathtub and pours a liquid and some dried flowers into the water; when everything is ready she asks me to take off my clothes and enter to the water. I obey her without hesitating and instantly she starts washing my hair with some strange shampoo that smell like cucumber; I'm so comfortable that I don't even pay attention to what she is doing and I'm starting to get asleep when she finishes and I have to get out of the bathtub.

When I'm out of the water, she takes a towel and starts drying my body then she puts on me a soft, white silk gown, that covers my body, but I don't know why she did this because in the moment I'm sited on a kind of table, Venia takes it off and starts removing my non-existent body hair with hot wax. Although I have no body hair it hurts a lot, but I 'm trying not to scream in pain or to cry because that will make me look weak and I'm not; so I grit my teeth and try to follow the conversation. After they are ready with my body hair, Octavia applies a lotion to all my body and the itching disappears; she makes me wear the gown again and starts doing my nails while Venia and Flavious are reinventing my face.

When they finish, they put a mirror in front of me and I barely recognize my own face. My skin looks less pale than usual and my cheeks have a little bit of color. While I'm admiring my face, Flavious starts doing my hair; he starts doing some curls and then he takes two strands of hair and he links the together in the back of my hair with a hair brooch that looks very similar to my locket.

When the three of them are finished, they stand in front of me and look me very careful, when Venia approves my look she says:

-She's ready, we should call Keira.

Venia and Flavious get out of the room and I'm left alone with Octavia. I'm curious about who Keira is so I ask:

-Who is Keira?

-She is going to be your stylist.

-Is she good?

-Yes, she is.

In this moment, Venia and Flavious burst into the room followed by a young woman. She praises their work and tells them to wait outside. She is carrying a large, dark bag where I think is my dress. She takes it out and I see a black satin dress with a ribbon in the waist.

The dress looks beautiful on me; it highlights my pale skin and my emerald green eyes. Keira takes a pair of black dress gloves and starts applying some make up on my face; when I'm ready, she makes me stand in front of my mirror while she puts me black high heels with lots of strips that make me think of a mortal trap, but I should admit that they have done a great work because I look gorgeous. When there's nothing to fix with my look Keira talks to me for the first time:

-You are ready and now it's almost time to your interview with Caesar Flickerman, don't be nervous he will do everything to help you. Are you hungry?

- Yes, I am. Can we eat now?

-Of course, my dear. Let's go to the dining room.

We sit near a window and Keira presses a button in the table and two plates of food appear. I'm so hungry that I don't know what I'm eating.

Twenty minutes later a peacekeeper appears and he escorts me to the back side of a well illuminated stage. A man with an olive green hair and costume appears in the stage and starts talking to the crowd, when he says:

-And here is the beautiful Carolyne Sunshine!

I climb the steps of the stage as fast as I can with the high heels and when I arrive he takes my hand and helps me to sit down; then he starts with the interview:

-Carolyne Sunshine, the girl who fell from the sky, how are you tonight?

-I'm pretty well, Caesar. And how are you?

-I'm okay, but I don't look as gorgeous like you.

-Thank you! You look wonderful.

-Oh you are such a nice girl. What do you think about the Capitol and its citizens?

I'm about to say how artificial and superficial the Capitol and its citizens are for me, when I remember what I'm supposed to say.

-This city is wonderful, nothing to do with the terrible world where I come from.

-How is your homeland?

-There are lots of high skyscrapers, but only rich people are able to live in them, there is war between countries and the governments use terrible weapons against the people. And the worst thing is terrorism.

-Terrorism. What is that?

-People who don't agree with the government often attack buildings or airplanes, they make them explode. That's how I get here. I was on a plane with my adoptive family heading toward a country named Australia when the airplane explode. It's a miracle that I'm still alive.

-Oh, poor kid. What happened to your biological family?

-They all died of a terrible illness.

-And, who were your family?

-My Mother, my Father and my eldest sister, Margaret.

-I'm so sorry. What do you think if we start with the "Reaping"?

-Let's start.

We both stand up and we walk to the table in which the glass ball with the number of each district is; Caesar takes a piece of paper and reads the number:

-The Winning District is 12!

I'm sure that now all of the people in 12 are worrying about having another mouth to feed. The "winning" family will hate me all my life.

-Now, we should reap the family name. – I said in an excited tone, though, I'm not excited. Caesar takes another piece of paper from the glass ball that says 12 and he reads the name:

-And the Winners are the Everdeen Family.

The Everdeen Family. I remember reading about them, a family of four: the mother, the father and two young girls. It will be hard for them; I'm sure they are coursing me. I'm thinking of this when Caesar's voice interrupts my thoughts:

-Oh, it's late now, Carolyne, don't you have to be in a train?

-Oh, yes. Goodbye, Caesar, hope we can see each other again.

I get down the stage and a strange looking woman stands in front of me and introduces herself:

-My name is Fraya Mayren; I'm going to be your escort!

-Oh, nice to meet you, Freya. Aren't we going to take a train?

-Yes, please, my dear, get in the car.

We get into a black car with that takes us to the train station and a couple of peacekeepers escort us to the inside of the only train in the station. We have dinner and then Fraya sends me to bed. I get asleep in a few minutes and my brain does what he cans to fight nightmares but it is midnight when I wake up screaming to my sister not to die. I try to sleep again, and I'm able to do it and when I wake up again the sunlight is coming through my window and I hear Fraya's annoying voice saying:

-My dear, Carolyne, it's time for breakfast!

-Yes, I'm coming.

I take a shower and I change into a light green dress.

I walk down the hall and get into the dining room, we take breakfast and then we go into the living room, I don't have anything to do so I return to my room and I take a nap. When I wake up again, I'm hungry.

I'm in the dining room taking an apple when I decide to look through the window; I can see lights, people and a building that seems to be a train station, I'm wondering where we are when it lands on me: we are in District 12.

**I know this was way too long but I needed to finish it now. What do you think about the history?**

**Any mistakes please tell me and review!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: My new family.

**I know I have taken too much to update but with vacations, exams and homework I have had no time but here is my new chapter and I will try to update as soon as possible. Enjoy, and review!**

When we get down the train, there is a huge amount of people in the station. I'm surprised when I see a little girl with blue eyes and blonde hair waving at me. I want to talk to her but Fraya pushes me to get into a car that takes us to the Justice Building.

In the Justice Building, I met the Mayor Undersee who welcomes me and introduces me to my new family:

-Carolyne, she is Hakania Everdeen and she will be your adoptive mother.

-Nice to meet you, Carolyne. – Says the woman in a kind tone. - You are welcome to our home.

-Thank you, Mrs. Everdeen. – I respond in a innocent tone.

-No, my dear, call me Mom, please.

The man introduces himself:

-My name is Dilham Everdeen and I'm going to be your adoptive father.

-How can I call you? - I ask in my most kind and innocent tone.

-Don't worry; you can call me Dad, if you want.

Then the little blonde girl with blue eyes, who was waving at me, appears from behind Mom's back. I'm very surprised to see her smiling at me because I have stolen a big part of her chances of surviving. She introduces herself:

-My name is Primrose but you can call me Prim. – She talks quickly and without hesitating. - I'm six years old and I'm going to be your little sister.

-Oh, nice to meet you, Prim. - I say a little confused.

I can see another skinny girl with dark hair and gray eyes, who is behind Dad; she gives a hesitant step and puts herself in front of me, she has tears in her eyes, maybe of anger, but then she smiles and gives me a big hug. Most times I would try to avoid human contact, but right now I'm so distract, confused and emotionally unstable that I accept her hug with another one.

-I'm your new sister, my name is Katniss. – She says in an almost happy tone. – I'm your age, and I'm so sad about what has happened to your family.- She seems to be about to cry, so I say:

-I'm sad too; but you don't have to cry.

She calms down and Mom says we should be going now. Dad accepts and we start our walking through District 12 until we reach a poor place with many small wooden houses, we walk to the one that is nearer to the Meadow and we get in.

Mom starts preparing dinner; Katniss guides me to her "room" and she sits in her bed, she makes me sit and she begins asking:

-Maybe you have already answered to this but I want to hear it by my own. What is your whole name?

Her voice sounds so innocent and hopeful that I don't have to courage to say no to her, so I respond:

-Carolyne Jane Sunshine.

-You are wrong, now your whole name is Carolyne Jane Everdeen.

I'm pretty surprised that she has already considered me as part of her family. I'm curios and I cannot stop myself of asking:

-What else do you want to know about me?

-I know you are 10 years old; so when is your birthday?

-May 8th, and yours?

-May 8th too. What is your favorite color?

-Silver, and yours?

-Green like the forest. How is living in the Capitol?

-Living in the Capitol is pretty boring. You have everything done for you and everything is easy there. People is boring too, they just talk about clothes, shoes, make up and parties.

-What a torture!-she says in a non sarcastic tone.- You could have died.-she says in a perfect imitation of the stupid Capitol accent.

-Yes, but I really enjoyed laughing at their strange clothes. They all look so strange!

-Fraya, the escort, is a good example. Her hair is green and she always uses blue and white clothes with enormous heels.

We start laughing at the Capitol's ridiculous clothes, and we would have continued laughing if Mom had not called us to set the table. We finish and Mom serves the food and we all start eating. After we finish Dad talks:

-Tomorrow it's the first day of school. You should be ready by now. Are you?

-Yes, Dad.-says Katniss in an annoyed tone.

-Do we have to go, Mom? - says Prim in an innocent tone.

-Yes you have to go and I don't want more questions. Carolyne you have to go too.

-Yes, Mom.-I answer with indifference. I don't know why they don't like school.

-Now all of you need to sleep.

-Where is Carolyne going to sleep?- Prim asks with curiosity.

-Katniss and Carolyne are going to share bed.

Katniss and I go to bed and we talk until we both get asleep.

**I hope you like it and any mistakes please tell me!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: School or hell.

**Here is my next chapter, I hope you like it and please read, review and enjoy!**

-Katniss, Primrose, Carolyne get up or you are going to be late for school.

Mom is shouting from the kitchen, it is better for us to get up if we don't want to be punished. I get up and I ask Katniss:

-Where can I take a bath?

She starts laughing like if I was insane but she answers:

-We don't take baths daily because that means to heat water so we just take a bath like three times a week, on Sundays, Thursdays and Tuesdays.

-Oh so tomorrow we are supposed to take a bath.

-Yes. Oh, I almost forgot it, here it's your dress, it isn't new, actually it was mine but it is the best we have. – She says a little ashamed.

- Oh don't worry, it is beautiful.

Actually, the dress is beautiful; it is made of a blue checkered fabric with some details in white ribbon and Katniss' dress is the same but with a red fabric and black ribbon. She hands me a pair of black shoes and the brush to comb my hair then we help Prim with her green dress and shoes and we all go to the kitchen where Mom gives us lunch and then Dad takes us to school before he goes to work at the mine.

When we arrive to school I can feel that everyone is staring at me and it last until we get into the classroom where the teacher gives everyone a notebook and a little plastic bag with some school material: a pencil, a pen, an eraser and a sharpener. Then she starts the speech of: Kids you have a new classmate…And she makes me introduce myself in front of the class:

-My name is Carolyne Everdeen- I was about to say Sunshine but I knew that Katniss will get mad at me. – I'm going to be your new classmate.

I climb down the steps and go to sit beside Katniss at the back of the classroom. The teacher says:

-Now I want everyone to introduce to Carolyne.

The first kid from the first row stands up and says his name and some nice words, and that is repeated until I know everyone's name.

A chubby girl with blonde hair and blue eyes named Delly Cartwright. Aribela Stains, a skinny girl from the Seam who has black hair and grey eyes. Seeny Martinique, a boy from the Merchant's area, with blonde hair and grey eyes who seems to be pretty optimistic. Cole Cartwright, Delly's twin brother he smiles to everyone but has more irony sense. Doriana Klaus, a shy girl with black hair and green eyes. Peeta Mellark, a boy from the Merchant's section who seems s a little confused and distracted. Lauren Wellington a blonde, blue-eyed and stupid girl who has as little brain as a bird. Madge Undersee, the Mayor daughter, she is shy, nice and probably intelligent. Jehan Dusyer a boy from the orphan who has desperation, hunger, pain and sadness marked in his face. Conner Macon from the Merchant's section, he is like Lauren but at least he can say some nice words. Those are my classmates along with Katniss, but I don't really like them as friends.

The teacher starts the class with some basic arithmetic, the bell rings and another teacher comes in and we repeat the introducing part and we learn about types of coal, the bell rings again and we go out for recess. We repeat the introducing part with the other six teachers until the last bell rings and we are able to go home.

During the next weeks I learn that everything in school is boring, and that I already know the things that aren't about coal, like Math or Reading. The weekly class about Panem History is always about how great the Capitol is and how much we owe to them.

By Thursday of the second week, I'm so bored of the thing we have been learning at school that I would have killed someone.

On Friday the Math teacher tells us to make teams of three and I immediately choose Katniss but we have to include someone else so we decide to for team with Madge, she accepts and we start working. The teacher goes out to see something and we are left alone, Lauren starts mocking Katniss about our home in the Seam and I hear her jokes. I get angry and I throw a pencil to Lauren's face, she get angry too and we start fighting, we are both rolling in the floor by the time the teacher comes in and he tries to separate us.

-Girls, stop fighting now. I will send you to the Principal's Office. - I don't really listen to him because I 'm focused on hitting Lauren in the face while she pulls my hair. A strong hand takes me away from Lauren and we are both send to the Office and the Principal gives us a detention for 2 hours.

After the detention I return home and Mom gives me a punishment for fighting at school. I think I have been pretty lucky.

**Thanks for the ones who have reviewed and if I wrote something wrong please tell me.**

**I'll try to update soon.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Hunting, fishing and recollecting.

**So, I didn't take too long for updating this time. Read and Review.**

**Enjoy!**

During Saturday, as we don't have classes and I'm punished, we help Mom with the households and play outside. Saturday ends and we go to sleep, not knowing what is waiting for us at morning.

Sun hasn't risen yet when Dad whispers something in my ear:

-Carolyne, wake up. I have a surprise for you and Katniss.

When Dad pronounces the word "surprise" Katniss wakes up immediately and asks:

-Where are we going? Are we going to the woods?

-Yes, but keep quiet. - Dad answers.

Then everything goes dark and quiet. We walk to the Meadow until we reach the Fence. Dad stops and seems to be listening to something I can't hear, and then I realize that he is listening to see if the Fence is electrified, then he lifts a part of the Fence that is not attached to the ground and he enters to the forest, and then Katniss and me.

When we are in the woods, we walk until Dad reaches an old tree where he takes out a pair of bows and two quivers of arrows, he hands me one of the bows and Katniss takes the other, then he takes us to an inner part of the forest.

-Do you want to learn to use bow and arrows? – Dad asks more affirming than asking, I can see that Katniss is almost jumping of joy.

-Yes, Dad. – I say in an inexpressive tone because I have already learned to shoot with bow and arrows but I'm not really good at this.

Then he tells us how to stand, hold the bow and the arrow and then he teaches to hunt; between Katniss and I, we shoot down three squirrels and two rabbits.

After learning to hunt he starts talking about edible plants and he shows us what we can eat and what we should never eat. In a moment we learn everything he says to us and we start recollecting plants and some berries. We are walking behind Dad when Katniss notices a tree with fruit, we get nearer to it and Dad says that they are peaches and he asks us to climb the tree, because none of us can reach them from the ground. I see that Katniss is a little afraid so I start climbing, she follows me and few minutes later we have a bag full of peaches.

Dad walks more and we follow him until we reach a beautiful lake with many plants around it. Dad takes out of his bag some fishing rods and puts it in the lake then he suggests us to swim. While we are in the lake, I notice an strange plant in the bottom of the lake, I dive and I found myself holding an strange kind of plant, I don't know what it is so I ask Katniss:

-Do you know what this strange kind of plant is?

When she sees what I'm holding, her eyes shine and she tells me:

-It's name is Katniss, that is where my name came from.

Dad hears us and he laughs and then he says:

-As long as you can find yourself you would never starve, Katniss.

We laugh and we continue swimming while Dad continues fishing. When the sun goes down we go to the Hob, District's twelve black market, where Dad exchanges some things we don't need, like part of our game and plants we got from the forest, then we return home and we have dinner but we are so exhausted that after dinner we go right to bed and we sleep all night until we hear Mom's voice calling us from the kitchen and we know that it was time for torture, I mean school.

**I'm sorry if I made any mistake. Please tell me if I did and please review!**

**Taylor. XD.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Death and Tragedy.

**Wow, second chapter in a day. Maybe this chapter will be something different to the original story, but Hope you like it. Review and Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters. **

**Thanks for all the ones who reviewed.**

Every week we went to school. On Saturday we helped Mom with households and on Sundays we went to the woods and after that we went to the Hob. Everything was going right, I had a good family, I was happy, but Death and Tragedy appeared in my life.

It is January 5th, it is Friday and we are at school in Panem's History class when the alarms start ringing, everyone knows what this means: and accident in the mine.

Before anyone is able to react, we are running through the halls until we reach Prim's classroom, but by this time everyone is running except of Prim who is sitting straight with her hands over her desk, she seems very calm but she is very pale. In the moment she sees us, she jumps from her desk, takes my hand and we start running through the streets. When we reach the entrance of the mine, we start searching for Mom and we finally find her beside the rope that limits the entrance of the mine. She takes Prim in her arms and she can't stop muttering:

-Calm down, honey. Everything will be fine.

We pass ten minutes standing there when Katniss burst into hysterics and I can't do anything but comfort her. By the time she calms down, more people had arrived to the place where we are and someone accidentally pushes me and I fall into the mine. I fall through three or four levels of the mine until I land on the roof of the elevator and I slip down to the rock floor. I start searching for a way out of the mine when I hear a familiar voice saying:

-Carolyne? Are you here?

- Dad? Where are you?

-I'm here. Please come!

-I'm coming. – I arrive to the place where he is. His right leg is beneath a rock and there is blood coming down his face, but he does what he cans to speak:

-Carolyne, I'm sure I won't survive long, but I can't leave my family alone, so I want to ask you a favor.

- You can ask whatever you want, Dad.

-I know you are different and special, and that you can take care of yourself, so I want you to protect and take care of your Mom, Prim and Katniss.

By this time tears are running through my cheeks and I can barely speak:

-Dad, please, tell me you are not going to die, please don't leave me alone. I need you.- I scream at the top of my lungs.- I don't want you to die, I don't want to be alone. Not again.

- Carolyne, my dear, you are not alone but I can't promise I won't die an do, I won't be useful for any of you. Please tell me that you will do what I am asking you.

-I promise you, with all my heart that I will protect Primrose, Mom and Katniss.

-You are a good girl Carolyne. I'm glad I have spent a few time with you. – I can barely understand him and his heart beat is getting weaker every second. He takes my hand between his and then he closes his eyes and stops breathing. Tears are running down my cheeks as I move to the elevator. I have just reached the elevator when I hear a noise, I see a bright orange light, and I go out of the mine.

I land on the cold ground, I'm about to faint when I hear Katniss and Prim screaming at me:

-Carolyne, Carolyne! – Their voices are desperate but at the same time relieved. – Are you okay?

- Please, Carolyne don't leave us! - No, I won't. Never. – We need you.

-Wake up, wake up. Please.

The desperation in their voices is audible, they have lost their Father, and maybe they would lose her Mother and, now, their adoptive sister. That is too much for anyone.

I try to sit down, to show them that I'm fine, but moving my left arm was painful. I give a look at it and I almost faint; my arm has an unnatural position and it is covered in bruises, as most of my body. I'm sure my arm is broken. Mom arrives and between tears and sobs she fixes the position of my arm and wraps it with part of my blouse. The sun goes down and the air is cooler, the captain of the mine walks towards us and says what I already know:

-I'm sorry Mrs. Everdeen. Your husband is… dead. – He says in an ashamed tone.

Mom starts sobbing and Katniss burst into hysterics again. Prim is asleep but when she wakes up she sees them crying and asks:

-What's happening? – Her voice full of hope and innocence. – Is Dad okay?

-Yes, honey. – I'm the only one who is able to answer her. – He is okay.

-Where is he? – She asks again.

-He is in a better place. – Tears are running through my cheeks again.

-So, he is dead. - I'm surprised about how fast she understands it.

She doesn't cry, she just puts her head in my shoulder and asks me to sign. I don't really like singing but she is so sad that I can't say no. I don't know what to sing but I decide for an old song my Mother used to sing me before I slept. I t was in Spanish, so I wasn't sure she will understand the words.

Duerme ya, duerme ya

En el dulce prado.

Duerme ya, duerme ya

En el musgo floreado

Duerme ya, duerme ya

Y al despertar veras las estrellas

Duerme ya, duerme ya

Y tus sueños serán dulces.

Descansa, descansa en mis brazos.

Te quiero, te quiero, querida Prim.

Descansa, descansa en mis brazos

Mañana, mañana otro día será

Pero recuerda siempre mis palabras, estas son

Te quiero, te quiero, querida Prim.

When I finish the song, Prim is sleeping. We return home and try to sleep. I can't and that is the start of my nightmares.

**What do you think about this? Please tell me in a review and if I had any mistake just tell me.**

**I'll update as soon as possible.**

**Taylor.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Misery and Agony.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**For the ones who asked, she is French but her mother was Spanish and she is able to speak in many different languages.**

**Here's my new chapter. Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

Two days after the mine explosion, we go to a ceremony held in the Justice Building. The Mayor gives Katniss and me a medal, and he gives Mom a few amount of money to compensate the death of our father. He does the same with many other families.

We return home and we have dinner, Mom goes to sleep and Misery begins.

The money that was given to us, runs out and Mom should get a work but instead of that, Mom starts diving in a dark and sad part of her mind and we became invisible to her.

At the age of 11, Katniss and I become into family head and we have to take care of our little sister, Prim, of 7. We do what we can to avoid people from knowing our problems, because if someone knows that Mom isn't able to take care of us, we will be send to the orphan, and I'll never let that happen to Prim and Katniss.

We try to gain some money by selling what we don't need in the Merchants area, it works for a time but then we ran out of things to sell and we start dying slowly.

Something pretty common in District 12 is starvation; you can see the victims of mine accidents begging in the streets, children from a very big family, old people who can no longer take care of themselves. Starvation is never the death cause they always die from pneumonia, heart attacks or other illness, but someday you can hear screams coming from a house and the next morning the Peacekeepers appear to remove the corpse. I have never thought that could happen to us but right now that happening to us; we are starving.

We are afraid, our Dad has died and Mom is always in her sadness world, we are alone in the world, and thing are going even worse. Agony begins.

We reach March alive; one day we are in the Merchant's area when it begins raining, then it becomes into a storm. We strat running towards home, because Prim is alone and maybe she will be afraid of lightning and thunder, but we are so exhausted that we end up walking. We are both cold and wet when we arrive home, and we have no fire. We change our clothes, dry our hair with a towel and try to warm up with some blankets until we get asleep. It is midnight when I hear Katniss coughing, she is asleep so I cover her with my part of the blanket and wait for the sun to rise, tomorrows is Sunday so we are going the Merchant's area again; but when morning arrives Katniss doesn't wake up. I touch her forehead, she is burning in fever. She keeps coughing and her face is colorless. I know what she has: pneumonia. There just a person who can save her: Mom.

-Mom, Katniss is sick. – I walk next to her. – She needs your help. – Mom is not even looking at me.

-What's happening? – Prim wakes up and she knows that Katniss is sick. She is scared, so I answer:

-Don't worry, Prim. Katniss will be fine; she just has a kind of flu.

-You promise she won't die? - She asks with hopeless eyes.

- I promise that I'll do whatever is in my hands to save her.

I know this isn't a good promise but is the best that I can do. I continue talking to Mom:

-Katniss seems to have pneumonia. Please, Mom. You have to help her. – The unthinkable happens; Mom stands up and walks to the drawer that's in the kitchen, she takes out an old book and opens it in what I think is a random page, then she remembers something, starts crying and returns to bed. She hasn't made many things, but she gives me what I need. I begin reading the book and I discover the cure to Katniss' pneumonia, but the only way to get the medicine is buying it at the drugstore and that is out of my monetary limits. I need to get money for the medicines, but how? Well, I can sell my golden locket. I get the locket off my neck and ask to Prim:

-Prim, do you want to come with me?

-Where are you going?

-To the Square.

-And why are you going to the Square?

-To sell my golden locket.

Then Prim explodes:

-Are you crazy? – She is looking at me like if I was really insane. - You can sell the only thing that is left from your Mother.

- I know, but the medicine is pretty expensive and we don't have anything else to sell.

- I have something better. – She takes my hand and guides me to her bed where she takes out a little paper box and gives it me.

-Open it. – She orders to me.

I open it and what I see makes me wordless. Inside the paper box, there's a perfectly folded 20 dollars bill. That is enough for the medicine and we can buy some food.

-Where did you get it? – I say, hopping she hasn't stolen it, because stealing is punished with death.

-Dad gave it to me long time ago.

-Are you sure you want to spend it?

-If that saves Katniss, yes.

-Then let's go to the Square.

We go to the drugstore and buy the medicine, and then we go to the fruit store and buy some apples that are cheapest thing. We return home and give Katniss the medicine; we prepare some salad with one of the apples and what is left of an old lettuce. We eat it and when we finish we give some salad to Mom and we see how Katniss wakes up after being prey of fever. She eats a little and sleeps again.

We do mostly the same that week but the apples finish and we are starving again. The only good news is that Katniss is healthy again and that May is getting nearer.

**Hope you like it. Please review and any mistake you can tell me. I'll try to update soon but I promise nothing.**

**Taylor.**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Hope.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters. **

**I'm sorry I had taken too much time to update but I really wasn't sure of what to write. Finally, here's my new chapter. Enjoy and please review!**

Mint tea. That is all we have eaten for almost a week. It's April 28th and it's raining. I'm in the Square, alone. Katniss is at home taking care of Prim and Mom, she isn't with me because after the pneumonia, her lungs and her heart were extremely weak and the will never return to normality. In fact it's a miracle that Katniss is still alive.

I'm trying to sell Prim's old baby clothes, but nobody wants them. I'm cold, wet and weak but I can't return home, at least, not with any hope.

In home my family is waiting for me; Prim with her hollow cheeks; Katniss with her weak body, and Mom dived in her world of sadness. The clothes slip off my hands and they end up in a mud puddle. I think of getting them again but maybe if I try, I'll fall and I'll never get up again. So, I keep walking, until an idea arrives to my mind: I could look in the garbage cans and maybe I'll find some wastes that just me and my family would eat; stale bread, rotten vegetables or old meat.

I move onto the bakery and take a look into the garbage can. Damn, they have just cleaned them. The baker's wife sees me and starts yelling at me; the words are hard and I'm defenseless. There's a boy behind her, I think he is in my group at school. They disappear inside and I lean on their old apple tree. I her noises and yelling, and the boy goes out of the bakery. He is carrying two loafs of bread, the bread is burnt in some parts but it is perfect. The boy tears up a burnt piece of bread and then he throws it to the pig, then his mother disappears inside the shop and he throws one loaf of bread and then the other, both in my direction. He disappears inside without a word. I take the bread and hide them inside my jacket. I run until I reach home thinking that maybe we will survive until May 8th when I will be able to sign for tessera.

When Katniss sees the bread, her eyes shine in hope and a smile comes to her face, we prepare the table and we cut pieces of bread. We make Mom sit and eat something. That night we eat one loaf of bread and I sleep with no nightmares.

Of course, we still need tesserae and I will have to take them, but there are several weeks left until May 8th and there's a big possibility that we won't make it alive.

The next morning we have bread for breakfast and for lunch. In school, I see the boy who gave me the bread. He has a red mark in his face, he is talking to his friends and he's not paying attention to me. During recess, we are on the playground and I see a pretty dandelion.

The dandelion is a reminder of spring, my father and the woods, although it is beautiful, it makes me sad, until I realize who we can survive. The forest and the meadow, I can find edible plants and animals and fish, but I have never gone to the forest alone.

That afternoon I go to the Meadow, I stop at the Fence and listen. Silence. I enter and see huge apples hanging from a tree; I forget any ideas of hunting something down, at least for now. I cut some apples and recollect some edible plants in the border of the meadow; dandelion, ombus and many others that Dad tough me. Before eating them, I check the book of plants, and that keeps us alive. That night we make a salad with all the plants and we finish the bread; we eat until we are full.

The next day, I'm determinate to shoot something. Katniss is still weak, so she can't come with me and Prim is afraid of the woods. So I'm alone. I don't walk more than 3 miles and I climb up a tree. While I'm in the tree, I shoot a pretty fat, white rabbit. I return to the house and leave the rabbit in the kitchen table. When Mom sees the rabbi she stands up, and skins the rabbit and then she puts it in a pan and she returns to bed. She seems scared, sad and confused. Few minutes later the rabbit is cooked and I serve it, we sit at the table and eat.

The light of hope is shining as bright as the sun; the woods will be our source of food. We can survive.

Days pass and I keep hunting, Katniss starts going to the forest with me, and Mom returns slowly to us. She starts answering to Prim's questions, she cooks, cleans and one day she starts healing people for some money. One day I even hear her singing.

On May 8th, I go to the Justice Building and I sign for tesserae and Katniss does the same.

We were about to die but The Boy with the Bread saved our life.

**I know, maybe this was boring. It had no talking but I promise that the next chapter will have. The reaping will be like in 5 or 6 chapters. **

**Thanks for the ones who review!**

**I'll try to update soon. **

**Any mistakes or ideas and suggestions, just tell me.**

**Taylor.**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: A stranger in the forest.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**In this chapter, seven months have passed. Katniss and Carolyne are 12 years old by now and Prim is 8.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

- Katniss, wake up.-I say in a bored tone. She always takes an eternity to get ready. - We are late.

-Please, Carolyne. I want to sleep. – She replies in a sleepy tone. – I'm tired.

-No. You can't sleep now. We need to go to the woods. – I say in an almost angry tone. – The sun is about to rise.

-Okay. I'm going. – She says in an annoyed tone.

This is not our regular morning talk, but we both are so exhausted that we get pissed off at any small detail we don't like.

-Are you ready now? – I'm impatient because if the sun raises it would be more difficult to get to the woods.

-Yes. – She replies. – Do you want to have breakfast here or in the woods?

-Take the bread with you. We don't have enough time for breakfast. – I say.

When we are ready, we walk to the Meadow and stop beside the Fence. We keep quiet; we need to hear the sound of electricity or the silence of safety. There's no sound coming from the fence, so we lift the part that it's not attached to the ground and we enter the woods. We walk to the lake and we catch some fish and recollect some berries.

It's almost midday and we want to hunt something down. Katniss sees a rabbit and shoots it at the same time I shoot a squirrel. We have got today's dinner and we start walking towards the Fence, when we see a rabbit hanging from a branch at 3 feet from the ground. The rabbit is hanging by a mechanism of ropes and wood pieces.

-Carolyne, look at that snare. – Katniss says in a nervous tone. Dad taught us how to use snares but the ones we have set never caught anything.

-There's someone her. – I say in an inexpressive tone. – Don't worry.

- Okay. Let's take a look. – She replies.

Katniss goes a head but I hear a branch cracking, but she seems not to hear it. She looks at the rabbit and is about to touch it, when a deep voice comes from behind a tree:

-Who are you? – I hide behind a tree and watch. Katniss talks:

-My name is Katniss Everdeen. – She says this in a very low voice that I can hear almost anything.

- Well, Catnip, did you know that stealing is punished with death?

The owner of the voice comes out and I can see a young boy, he must be 14 and I remember seeing him at the ceremony held in the Justice Building after the mine accident. He has a dead rabbit and a dead squirrel hanging from his belt.

-My name is Katniss. – She says in a louder voice. I come out to defend my sister:

-She wasn't stealing. We were just looking at your snares. Ours never catch anything.

He looks at my hands and points the rabbit:

-Then, how did you got that rabbit?

-I shot it, with bow and arrows.

He looks at my bow and says:

-Can I see it?

-Yes, - I hand the bow to him.- but remember that stealing is punished with death.

He laughs at this, and hands me the bow:

-And, what's your name?

-Carolyne Everdeen. And yours?

-Gale Hawthorne.

The conversation end and we continue hunting. When the sun sets we return to the Meadow and we go straight to the Hob, District 12's black market. Gale goes with us and makes some deals with the merchants, and then we all return home.

The next days we meet Gale in the woods many times and we start trusting each other, he teaches us how to use snares and we teach him how to shoot with a bow. We share our hunting places and one day our friendship comes out. We become hunting partners and Katniss gives him one of our beloved bows and a sheath of arrows.

**So, hope you liked it! Please review!**

**If you want me to include any moment after this and before the reaping, please send me a review with the moment you want and I'll try to post it as soon as I write it.**

**Taylor. XD **


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Tularemia.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**This moment is mentioned by Katniss during the games, she doesn't give details but I thought I should include it in my story, and maybe the medical data is not very accurate but I did my best.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

**-**Hello, Catnip. Hello, Carolyne. – Gale says, he is sitting in the rock that has become our meeting point. – Are you ready to hunt?

-Yes, of course. – Says Katniss in her usual sleepy tone. – Did you set the snares?

-Yes. – Gale answers. – How is Prim and your Mom?

-They are all right. – I respond in an anxious tone, it's getting late to hunt. – How is your family?

-Pretty good. – We start moving. As we move, I shoot a squirrel in the eye and Katniss shoots a rabbit. Gale takes the preys out of the snares and we count all we have: three squirrels and four rabbits. It's not enough to feed Gale's family and ours, so we go to the lake and set the fishing rods while we recollect some edible plants. Katniss sees some turkeys and we get enough food to feed Prim, Mom, Hazalle, Rory, Vick, and Posy.

The sun has already gone down when we arrive to the Fence, but that doesn't matter a lot since today is Friday. Gale is about to lift a part that is unattached to the ground when I get nearer to it and I hear the soft buzz that indicates that there is electricity:

-Gale, stop. – I shout, the Fence has enough volts to kill someone. – The Fence is on.

Gale stops and pays attention to the sounds and I'm sure he can hear the buzz. He looks at me and says:

-You are right, Carolyne. – He returns to the edge of the forest. – We are trapped here until the energy comes off and it could be until tomorrow.

- Do you think that any of the peacekeepers has betrayed us?- asks Katniss in a voice full of fear, I understand her, it's the first time that we are trapped in the woods.

- No. This must be something spontaneous. – I answer calmly.

-And, what are we going to do? – She asks; the tone of her voice indicates that she is at the edge of hysteria.

-Well, water won't be such a problem, we can get it from the streams or the river, and we can eat some fruits or plants but if we want meat, we have to eat it raw. We can't expose ourselves making a fire. – Gale says while sitting on the ground.

-This is going to be a cold night. – I sigh. – At least our families won't be worried. – I say sitting on the ground too.

-How do you know it? – Katniss asks, pretty worried.

-If we take too long, Mom will send Prim to see if the Fence is on and if necessary, she will tell Hazalle. – I answer softly. She is supposed to know all of this after almost two years, but I know what fear can do to a person's mind.

-Do you want to have dinner now or later? - asks Gale while he butchers a rabbit.

-I'm hungry. Let's eat something. – I respond grabbing a piece of the raw rabbit. Katniss eats some apples and Gale and I finish the rabbit.

After our improvised dinner we get near to the Fence and hear. The same buzz. We decide to climb a tree and sleep in the woods.

When I wake up in the morning, I feel dizzy and I have a headache. I try to walk to the Fence but I feel weak and strange. Gale wakes up and sees me, he seems worried and asks:

-Do you feel right? You look…Mmm…Green.

When I open my mouth, instead of replying something sarcastic, I start seeing little black dots, moving in the air. I can barely breathe and I feel my knees shaking, or maybe it's all my body. My feet fail and I fall to the ground, I see the sky and I faint.

I'm in an airplane, besides me is my adoptive brother Jonathan, my adoptive mother and father are there too. They are watching a movie, but then a strange-looking man stands up and lifts his shirt, letting us to see a bomb pasted to his abdomen. He is shouting something, but I can't hear what it is, my whole mind is trying to find a way out. Without making a noise or drastic movements, I reach the exit door, I open it and jump; the alarm starts ringing but the man presses the button and the airplane above my head explodes. My adoptive family is dead.

I'm screaming; Katniss is beside me trying to calm me down:

-Carolyne. It was just a dream, it wasn't real.

-What happened? - It's the only thing I really care about, right now.

-You went sick. –she says a little worried.

-Sick. Of what?

-You got tularemia.

-The rabbit fever. – I replied knowingly.

-You shouldn't have eaten that raw rabbit.

-I know, but I was too hungry, and we couldn't light a fire. Is Gale sick?

-Actually he was the lucky one.

-Really? – I reply a little jealous.

-Yes. Mom was pretty worried about him last week, but he didn't seem to be sick.

-Last week? Could you tell me what happened? - I ask.

-After you fainted in the woods we waited for an hour or two, and the Fence went off, so we returned to the Meadow. We tried to wake you up but you were fully unconscious. We went home and told Mom what had happened. She examined you and said you have got tularemia, she tried to give you some medicines but you kept unconscious and you didn't swallow. She injected the medicines in your bloodstream and we waited. In your few moments of consciousness we gave you water but you didn't accepted food. And we have been waiting for you to wake up completely for almost a week.

-What did I miss? – I ask concerned.

- A presidential announce of a shortage of shrimp in the Capitol; in other words, nothing important. - She says sarcastically and laughs a little, but then she returns to seriousness. – Now you have to rest, Carolyne.

-One more question. What day is it?

-May 5th.

-A week until Prim's birthday.

-Yes, and now sleep.

After a few days, I'm able to walk, and by May 9th, Mom thinks I'm strong enough and I return to the forest.

**Please review and keep reading. I'll try to post anew chapter soom.**

**Taylor.**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Prim's tenth birthday.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

-Happy birthday Prim!

-Good morning, Katniss. – Prim replies in a sad tone.

-Hey, why are you so sad? – I ask worried. – It's your birthday; I thought you would be happier.

-I'm happy, but I'm worried too.

-Why are you worried? – asks Katniss, but we both know what she will say.

-I'm about 2 years to get to the reaping. If I get reaped, I'll die in the Hunger Games. – She says in a melodramatic tone.

-Prim, you have two years left and today is your birthday, so please smile and celebrate your day. In the evening you'll have a present. – I say in my most happy tone. – And if you get reaped, I'll volunteer for you.

-I don't want any of you to volunteer; I don't care if that means no presents. – She replies in a horrified tone.

-Don't worry, we will go to the woods and return by eight o'clock. – Katniss says softly.

We walk to the Meadow and we enter the woods. Gale is already setting the snares.

-Hey girls. How are you? – He asks distracted.

-All right, except for Prim's emotional breakdown. – I say pretty bored.

-Emotional breakdown? Why? –He asks worried.

-Because she's nearer to the reaping. – Katniss answers bored too. We care about Prim and we try to do anything to protect her but we can't do anything about the reaping. – We have to buy her a present.

I hear some noises in the other side of the stream, I turn my head and I see a young, beautiful deer. I don't stop to warn the others; I take and arrow and I shoot. The deer tries to escape, then it falls and we walk to it. The deer has an arrow in the neck, one in the eye and another one in the chest. We have shot at the same time.

Gale puts the deer in the game bag and he checks the snares while Katniss and I recollect some vegetables and we found some wild turkeys and rabbits. Its midday and we have already finished our hunting. We have to go to the Hob and sell part of our game.

We go to the Hob, as fast as we can. When we enter to the Hob, everyone stares at us and tries to take part of the deer. Greasy Sae appears and sends us with Rooba, the butcher. We arrive and show the deer to her. Rooba gives us a lot of money and some steaks. Even dividing the money in two, none of us has ever had so much money.

-We should buy something for Prim. – Gale says. – It's her birthday and we have enough money.

-What do you want to give her, Carolyne? – asks Katniss in an excited tone.

-I'm not sure. Maybe we can buy fabric for a new dress, or a hair brush. – I say unsure.

-I think she would like to have a new dress. – Gale says.

-Okay. Let's go to the Square. – Katniss replies.

We go to the Square and we go directly to the clothes store. Katniss is watching a blue silk fabric, while Gale is watching the colorful ribbons. I'm seeing the already-made clothes, when something catches my attention. In the other side of the Square is an old man with four or five goats, there is one that is in a cart, the goat seems to be sick or injured.

-Katniss, do you think that Prim would like to have a goat? - I ask.

-Maybe. Why? - She answers distracted.

-Because in the other side of the Square is an old man who has some goats. One is injured; maybe that has a lower price. – I reply.

-We could go and take a look. If the animal is curable, we can ask the price. – Gale says watching carefully the goats.

We walk to the other side of the Square and stop to watch the goats. The one that is in the cart has an injury in the leg, maybe it was bitten by a wild dog or something. The goat seems to be curable, so Katniss asks:

-How much is that goat?

-Why? Do you want it? – Responds the old man in a harsh tone.

-No. She just wants to bother you all day long. I say sarcastically. The butcher, Rooba, appears and the old man says:

-I'm very sorry, but I already have a deal with the butcher.

-Then, I don't want it. It is already bespoken. – Katniss says a little disappointed.

-Don't worry kid. This bug must be rotten to the bones. I won't get any meat out of it. You can buy it, if you are such a fool. - Rooba says in a hard tone, but she winks at us. Then Katniss says:

-I want it. How much does it cost?

-I'll give it to you in 25 dollars. – The man replies.

-Okay. – I say, while Gale gives the money to the man, and Gale and I take the goat. Then a great idea comes to my mind:

-Why if we buy a pink ribbon for the goat?

-Pink? I'll prefer blue.

-Of course, you prefer blue, Gale.

-I think we should buy it pink. – Katniss says and she runs towards the store. She buys the ribbon and puts it to the goat. We walk home and knock on the door, Prim opens and says:

-Why did you take so long? You said that you will be here by eight. Do you know what time is it?

-Of course, I know what time is it. – I say playfully. – It's nine o'clock.

-What have you been doing the last hour? – She asks angrily.

-We were buying your birthday present. – Katniss answers happily.

-I have told you that I didn't want any present. – She replies still angry.

-But I didn't listen to you. – I say still playfully. – I'm sure you are going to love it.

-But first you'll have to fix its leg. – Gale says. He walks in the house and shows the goat. Mom and Prim see the injured leg of the animal and start giving it medicine and other stuff, Gale returns to his house, Katniss takes a bath and I prepare dinner. By the time I have finished dinner, Mom and Prim have already finished with the goat and we all sit at the table to eat my improvised dinner:

-So do you like your present? – I ask.

-Yes, of course. – She answers.

-Do you love it? – Katniss asks.

-Yes, of course.

-I knew you will. – I say happily, while my mom says:

-Sorry, girls, but it's time to sleep.

-Can I sleep with the goat? – Prim asks.

-Yes, but first give it a name. – Says Katniss

-I'll call her Lady. – Prim says softly.

I give her a blanket and she sits by the fire with Lady besides her. Before I walk to my bed the goat licks Prim in the face, like if it was a goodnight kiss.

**Hope you like it. Please read and review!**

**Taylor.**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Traitors.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

Hello, Gale. – Katniss says. – How many rabbits do we have in the snares?

-Three. How many squirrels have you shot?

-I shot three and Carolyne shot a rabbit and two squirrels.

-Great. What if we fish for a while? – I say a little anxious. I don't know why, but I have a premonition that something bad will happen.

-Yes, of course, and we could change some of our game in the Hob. – Gale answers calmly.

We start moving slowly towards the lake, because we want to recollect some blackberries and other vegetables. We have been walking for 15 minutes when Katniss sees a bush of raspberries and we start recollecting them. I hear a strange noise, the noise of someone running through the woods, but that is not possible since we are the only ones that hunt here, though, we could be shot on daily basis for hunting. Anyway we agree that if we have to choose between dying of hunger and a bullet in the head, the bullet would be much quicker.

I keep hearing the same noise; I'm worried, so I move slowly, trying to hide behind some rocks when I see her. She must be 17 or 18 years old and she is red-haired and blue-eyed. She seems to need a good night of sleep and maybe she has been running through the forest for days; she has some bruises and wounds all over her body, her clothes are in a terrible condition. There is a boy besides her, he has blue eyes too, but brown hair; he is in the same conditions that her.

They both seem to be from the Capitol and they must be in big troubles, perhaps they are traitors. Katniss and Gale are still recollecting berries, but they stop when they hear the silence. Silence in the woods in unnatural, so that makes the three of us to be fully aware of everything. We hide behind some rocks that a bird sings a single note. I t doesn't seems like a song, it seems like a warning. The traitors are aware of a threat that is invisible to us, but the situation changes. A hovercraft materializes in the empty sky; the traitors see it and try to hide:

-Lavinia! Hide! – The boy says looking at the girl. – They'll catch us!

-We can't escape, Larkin! – She responds in a high-pitched voice. – We are trapped!

Every day, I see the look of a prey's eyes when it's cornered; the girl's eyes look the same. She is scared. I 'm scared too.

-Let's hide. – Whispers Gale, there is a tinge of fear in his voice. – We can't let anyone to see us.

I hear him, but my body reacts too late. The girl, Lavinia, sees me and her eyes shine bright in hope, but a kind of spear attached to a rope falls from the hovercraft and goes through the boy. I'm sure he is dead.

A silent plea comes from the girl's mouth, but I can't help her. I can't risk me and my family. So I just say sorry in a soft whisper at the same time that a net goes down the hovercraft and takes the girl. I hear when she screams the boy's name twice, then the hovercraft disappears.

I look at my side and I see Katniss shaking with fear and with tears in her eyes. I'm not really sure what she is afraid of, but I need to protect her and comfort her:

-Katniss, don't worry. Nothing will happen to us, they didn't saw us. We will be fine.

-I'm not afraid of that. – She says in a weak voice. – I'm afraid of what will happen to them.

Katniss is the opposite of me in many ways. She is always honest, mostly because she is not good at lying, and unselfish. Even though I have known her for five years, she keeps surprising me with her unselfishness. I'm wordless and Gale seems to notice, so he talks:

-The poor boy won't suffer anymore. He was dead when the hovercraft took him. – His words are not exactly what Katniss needs, but they must work. – The girl would take the worst part. She is a traitor to the Capitol; probably they will turn her into an avox.

Katniss' face is colorless and she is shaking in fear again. She is wordless and seems about to faint.

-I think we shouldn't move her until she recovers from this. – I suggest calmly as I sit on the ground next to her.

-And what do we do if the sun sets and she is still like this? - Gale asks worried.

-Don't worry; I'm sure she will be fine. – I say in a hopeful voice.

She recovers a few minutes later and we head to the Meadow. We are so exhausted, worried and afraid that we don't have more energy to keep hunting. We have reached the Fence when Katniss asks:

-What are we going to tell our families?

This question has been in my mind for a long time, but I already have an answer:

-They must know nothing. There are things we need to hide from them.

Katniss starts to complain about my answer, but Gale helps me:

-Is better for them not to worry that much.

**This was the last chapter until the Reaping day. I'll try to post the next chapter as soon as I can.**

**Please read and review!**

**Taylor.**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Reaping Day

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**The Reaping will be in the next chapter; this is just like an introduction.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

-It was me! – I hear Prim screaming. – It was me!

-What is happening? – Katniss says worried. – Are you okay, Prim?

I walk to Prim's bed and hold her in my arms.

-Nothing is happening. – I say as calm as I can. –Everything will be alright.

-No, everything will be terrible. – She says in a fearful voice. – The unthinkable will happen.

The unthinkable: any of us going to the Games. I don't really care about me; I'm too busy trying to keep my sisters safe.

-You won't get reaped, Prim. – Katniss says. – We did everything in our hands to protect you. You will be fine.

Prim suffers from an emotional breakdown and burst into hysterics.

Mom is outside, recollecting some vegetables. I can't leave Prim alone, but we still need to hunt.

-Katniss will you stay here, with Prim. – I say softly. – While I go hunting.

-Of course, Carolyne. – She replies. – We can't leave her alone.

-I left some goat cheese in the table. – Prim says in a sob.

–Thank you, Prim. Don't' worry you'll see how everything goes fine.

I walk out of the house and I see my Mom.

-Are you going to the woods? – She asks me, obviously confused about me going without Katniss.

-Yes. Do you need any plant? – I ask politely.

-No. Where's Katniss? – She asks.

-She's taking care of Prim.

-Emotional breakdown?

-Yes.

I walk away and I enter to the woods. Gale is waiting for me, he's sitting on a rock; he is waiting for Katniss too and he is surprised when he doesn't see her.

-Hi, Carolyne. – He says in a confused, worried and friendly voice.

-Where's Katniss? Is she fine?

-Yes. She's taking care of Prim. – I say sadly.

-Prim? – He sounds worried. – What happened?

-Emotional breakdown. Again. – I say bored. I know I should be more tolerant with this, but I can't. None of us can do anything about the Reaping or the Hunger Games. – Don't worry, she is fine.

-See what I shot today. – He says, while holding a loaf of bread in his hand. The bread has an arrow stuck in it.

-Ummm, it's still warm. – I say. It's obvious that he bought it at the bakery. – How much did it cost you? – We are sitting on a rock where we can see the whole valley.

-A squirrel. The old man was feeling sentimental this morning. He even whished the best of lucks.

-Well, we all feel a little closer this day. Don't we? – I say, rolling my eyes. – Prim sent some cheese.

-We will have a real feast. – He falls into the Capitol accent as he mimics Effie Trinket, the woman who has been District 12's escort for the last six years. Another freak, just like Fraya. – Happy Hunger Games! – He plucks some blackberries from a bush next to him. – And may the odds… - he throws the berry in a high arch directly to my mouth.

I catch the berry with my mouth. – Be ever in your favor! - I finish the sentence. We have to joke about this, because the alternative is to be scared out of your wits. Besides, the Capitol accent is so affected that almost everything sounds funny in it. We finish our breakfast. It is a real feast compared to what most of the people in District 12 is used to eat. District 12 where you can starve to death in safety. We are quiet for some minutes, but Gale breaks the silence:

-We could do it. You know. – He says quietly.

-What? – I ask distracted.

-Leave the district. Take off. Live in the woods. – He answers. –You, Katniss and I, we could make it.

I'm not sure of how to respond. The idea seems so out of place.

-If we didn't have so many kids. – He adds.

Not our kids, of course; but our respective families. We can't leave them alone. Who would feed them? Who would take care of them? They will never survive without us.

-I never want to have kids. – I say instinctively.

-If I didn't live here, I might. – He says thoughtfully.

-But you do. – I say irritated. I wish Katniss was here. She is better for this kind of talks.

-Forget it. – He snaps back. I'm sure he is able to feel my irritation. –Still I think we could do it, taking our families with us.

-We couldn't even make 5 miles. – I say a little irritated.

-Maybe there's a possibility, maybe if we organize everything… - He is lost in his thoughts. – Maybe we can carry with them.

-You must be kidding. – I say almost laughing.

-Why are you laughing? – He says confused.

-Because it's hilarious. – I say between laughter. He is looking at me like if I was insane. –Try to imagine Prim in the woods.

We laugh and then he asks:

-So, what do you want to do?

-Let's go to the lake. We can set our poles and gather in the woods. – I respond. – Maybe we can get something nice for tonight.

After we set everything, we hunt for a while and then we recollect some strawberries. We return to the lake and count everything we have:

-We have four rabbits and a squirrel, twelve fish and many strawberries. – Gale says.

-I think we should sell two rabbits and the squirrel and stay with the fish. We can sell part of the strawberries to the Mayor. – I reply.

We go to the Hob and sell part of our game. Then we walk to the Mayor's house to sell the berries and I knock to the door.

-Hi. – says Madge, the Mayor's daughter. She is kind of my friend; at least I sit with her and Katniss during the recess. – Do you have strawberries?

-Yes, of course. – Gale answers in a hard tone. He is looking at the golden pin that is on Madge's expensive dress. That small gold pin would be useful to keep a family on bread for months. – What else would we do in here?

I hand the strawberries to Madge and she smile, she says:

-Thank you. How much will it be?

-3 dollars. – I say taking the money from Madge's hand. – Nice dress.

-I must look good if I end up in the Capitol.

-You won't go to the Capitol. How many entries do you have? 5? I had 6 when I was 12. – Gale replies angrily.

-Gale, it isn't Madge's fault. – I say trying to calm him down. – We better get going or we are going to be late for the Reaping. – I say trying to change of suspect. – Goodbye, Madge.

-Good luck, Katniss. – She says. She is staring at Gale while he looks at her with cold eyes.

We walk to the Seam, in silence. I don't like Gale taking a dig at Madge, and he's still pissed off. I understand him; the Reaping system is unfair, with the poor getting the worst of it.

-Gale, you shouldn't be angry at Madge. It isn't her fault. – I say calmly, though, I understand him; Madge has never signed for tessera, because she has never been in danger of needing one.

-I know, but everything is just unfair. – He says. – It's to the Capitol advantage that we are divided among ourselves.

-Gale, you can say what you want in the forest, but it's different in the District.

-I know. See you later, put something nice.

-Goodbye, Gale. – I say. – See you at the Square.

In the moment I get into the house, Mom goes out and says:

-You are late, Carolyne. – She says worried. – There's some water waiting for you in the bathroom and I left your clothes on the bed.

- Thanks, Mom. - I say. – I s Prim okay?

-Yes, she was calm most of the morning.

I go inside the bathroom and I start washing my hair and my body. After I finish, I dry my body and my hair with a towel, then I wrap the towel around my body and go into the bedroom. There's a blue dress over the bed and matching shoes in the floor. I take them and I change in the bathroom. The dress was from my Mom. I return to the bedroom, because I need to brush my hair. Mom walk in and I say:

-Are you sure?

-Yes. – She says changing of suspect. – Do you want me to do your hair? I already finished with Prim and Katniss.

-Yes, Mom. You can do what you want to my hair.

She makes two braids, one in each side of my head, then she holds them together in a ponytail, she makes a braid with it and she outs my hair in a bun at the back of my head.

-You look beautiful. Prim says.

-And nothing like myself. – I reply.

Katniss enters the room and laughs at my words. She hugs me and then I hug Prim, because I know that the next hours will be terrible for her and I can't do anything about it. I look at her clothes, she is using Katniss' first Reaping outfit; she looks pretty but her blouse has pulled out her skirt.

-Hey, tie your shirt in, little duck. – She and Katniss giggle and we three laugh. She gives me a small quack.

-Quack yourself. – I reply painting a soft kiss in her forehead. Then she starts sobbing.

-Why are you sobbing? – Katniss asks kindly.

-If I get reaped, I'll die in the Hunger Games. I don't want to get reaped. – She says between tears. I Get nearer to her and say softly:

- Close your eyes, Prim. –I take my golden locket off my neck and I put it around Prim's neck. –Now, you can open them.

-Your locket. Are you sure? –she asks confused.

-It gives me luck. It will protect you in the Reaping. – I say softly.

-You should use it, or you'll be unlucky. –She replies.

-Right now, you need it more than me. –I say calmly. She hugs me and sobs a little in my shoulder, then she calms down and Katniss cleans the tears away from her face.

-Let's eat. – Katniss suggests as we walk to the kitchen.

We eat and at 1 o'clock we head to the Square. As we walk I try to prepare myself for the biggest torture of my life.

**Hope you like it! Read and review and tomorrow I'll post next chapter!**

**Taylor.**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 16: The Reaping

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**This chapter will be quite long but not as long as the last one. Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

The Square is full of cameras, peacekeepers, people from the Capitol and all the stuff needed for televising the Reaping.

There is a line of people that is waiting to enter the Square. Nobody is able to trick the Capitol, because there is a station where a woman is taking blood samples, she analyzes them in a small machine and one of the gates opens: one for the potential tributes and the other for the ones who are hypothetically safe. Besides, attendance is mandatory unless you are at death's door. Peacekeepers spend the evening checking every home to see if that the case. If not you're imprisoned.

I look at Prim, who is pale and shivering, she is holding Katniss' hand. I'm the next in the line:

-Give me your hand. – The woman says in a harsh tone. She presses the needle against my finger. She takes out some blood and puts it in the machine. I wish that the gate at the right opens instead of the one at the left, the gate for the damned. I pass through the left door and wait for Katniss and Prim to pass:

-Give me your hand. – The woman says to Prim. She starts hyperventilating as she gives the hand to the woman.

-Prim, calm down. – I hear Katniss trying to comfort her. – It won't hurt.

-It's just a blood sample. – I whisper. –I promise it won't hurt.

The woman takes the blood and the left gate opens. She passes and the Katniss; Mom goes to the other side of the Square.

There's a temporary stage in front of the Justice Building. It holds two glass balls, one for girls and one for boys; a podium and three chairs. In one chair, is sited Mayor Undersee and in the other is Effie Trinket, the other one, where Haymitch Abernathy, District 1's last victor must be, is empty.

When all the people are in the Square and the town clock strikes two, Effie Trinket starts talking:

-Welcome, welcome. The time has come to select a brave young man and woman, to represent District 12 during the 74th Hunger Games! As always ladies first!

She walks and stands in front of one of the glass balls; the one that has twenty entries with my name written in them. She takes a paper out of it and then reads the name:

-Primrose Everdeen!

My world breaks. My little sister has been reaped, even if she had just one entry, I had twenty. Why I wasn't chosen instead of her?

My promise. I promised to volunteer.

-Prim! – I shout at the top of my lungs. – Prim!

I look beside me and I see that Katniss is gone. She is moving slowly, she's trying to get to the stage without me noticing. She'll volunteer over my dead body.

-Katniss! – I scream. –Stop! I'll never let you volunteer!

Prim hears my screams and she stops confused; I take advantage of the moment and I move until I'm able to put her behind me. The peacekeepers try to stop me, they want me to return to my place, but I won't.

-I volunteer. – I shout. Everyone is staring at me in shock. Katniss come nearer to my trying to argue, I see in her face that she'll try to volunteer. – I volunteer as a tribute. – I shout even louder.

The peacekeepers stop struggling with me and they leave me alone. I look around me and I see that there is confusion in every single face. In some districts volunteering is pretty difficult, but District 12 hasn't had a tribute in decades and the protocol has become rusty.

-Lovely! – says Effie Trinket when I start climbing the steps. – But I think there's a matter about presenting the winner of the reaping…

-What does it matters? – The Mayor replies. He is looking at me with a sad and pained expression in his face. He doesn't really know me, but there is some faint recognition in his eyes. Strawberries. Madge. A medal for my dead father. Those are the things that connect us. – Let her come forward.

Prim and Katniss mixed with the rest of the people for a while, but now they are screaming hysterically at my back.

-No, no. Carolyne, you can't go. – They are trying to stop me, wrapping their skinny arms around me.

-Prim! Katniss! – I say harshly. – Let go! Let me go. – I reply even harder. They are about to make me cry. I don't want to cry, not here. I'll give no one the satisfaction of marking me as an easy target. I'm not weak. – Let go, please!

I feel someone pulling them from my back. I turn and see that Gale has lifted Prim over his shoulders and that Katniss is embraced to him.

-Up you go, Carolyne. – He says trying to keep his voice steady. He carries my sisters off towards my Mom. I steel myself and climb the steps.

-Well, well, bravo! – Effie Trinket gushes. – That's the spirit of the Games! – She is clearly excited that at least some emotion happens here. – What's your name, honey?

I swallow hard. – Carolyne Everdeen. – I whisper.

-Carolyne Everdeen! I bet my buttons that was your sister! Don't want her to steal all the glory, do we? – She gushes excited. – Come on, everybody! Let's give a round of applause to our newest tribute!

For my surprise the next seconds are just silence, no one claps, the crowd is completely quiet. That's their way of saying that they don't agree, that everything is wrong. Then, person by person, the entire crowd touches their three middle fingers of their left hand to their lips and holds it out to me. Now, I'm truly in danger of crying, because that simple gesture means thanks, admiration and goodbye to someone you love. Thank goodness, Haymitch chooses this moment to appear and congratulate me:

-Look at her! Look at this one! – He hollers, as he throws an arm over my shoulders. – I like her! – His breath smells like liquor and it's obvious that he hasn't taken a bath in a long time. – Lots of … - He struggles to find the correct word. - …Spunk! – He says triumphantly. – More than you! – He releases me. He looks directly at the camera and repeats. – More than you!

Is he addressing the audience again or is he so drunk that he might actually be taunting the Capitol? I'll never know because when he opens his mouth to continue he falls off the stage and knocks himself unconscious. He is whisked away on a stretcher and Effie Trinket continues:

-What an exciting day! – she warbles and tries to get to the glass ball at the same time that she tries to straighten her wig, which was moved out of place after Haymitch trying to hug Effie. – But more excitement to come! It's time to choose our male tribute! – She grabs the first slip she encounters and I don't even have time to pray for Gale's safety before she reads the name. – Peeta Mellark!

Oh, no. Not him. I recognize the name even if I had never talked directly to his owner. Peeta Mellark, the boy with the bread, the person who saved my life. No, the odds are not in my favor today. I watch him as he makes his way to the stage. Medium height, a little taller than me; stocky build and ashy blonde hair that falls in waves over his forehead. The shock of the moment is in his face, he struggles to remain emotionless, but his deep blue eyes show the alarm I've seen in many of my preys.

Effie Trinket asks for volunteers, but no one steps forward. He has two older brothers, but one is too old to volunteer and I'm sure the other won't. That's the standard. What I have done is something radical.

The Mayor starts reading the long, dull and boring Treaty of Treason as he does every year, but I don't listen a word. I'm trapped in my thoughts. He saved my life and I didn't give thanks to him. And now I'll never give thanks to him. Because we are going to be thrown into a stupid arena to fight to the death. Exactly, how am I going to work out a thank-you in there? It just won't seem sincere if I'm trying to slit his throat.

The Mayor finishes the Treaty of Treason and motions for Peeta and me to shake hands. The anthem plays and we face the crowd again.

Oh, well. There will be twenty four of us. Odds are someone else killing him before I do. Of course, the odds have not been very dependable of late.

I **know it may seem a little too alike to the book, but it will be different in the next chapters.**

**Please read and review!**

**Taylor.**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Goodbye.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

When the anthem ends, we are taken into custody. We enter the Justice Building and I'm taken to a room and left alone.

The room is the richest place I have been in six years. This is the place where I'm supposed to say goodbye to my family. Maybe the last time I see them.

My family enters the room, Prim hugs me and cries in my arm for some seconds but I stop her:

-Prim, stop crying. You must concentrate in surviving. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. You have to keep taking the goat. And promise you won't take any tessera. – I say quickly, I just have three minutes with them and I must take advantage of them.

-Yes, Carolyne. – She mumbles softly. – I'll do what you want.

I turn and look at Katniss in the eye. – Katniss, you should keep hunting and gathering in the woods but you need to rest too, at least a day each month. Gale would bring you game the days you can't hunt, but give him something in compensation like milk or medicines. Don't let her take tessera. – I say, pointing with my head at Prim. – Don't waste anything, only use what is necessary. And please, please, please try to forgive her. – I'm talking about Mom. After my father's death I forgave Mom for leaving us, because I knew what she felt, but Katniss never forgive her. – Don't worry about me and take care of yourself.

-But if something bad happens… - Prim starts saying but I cut her off.

-It doesn't matter what you see on the screen, you have to fight through it. – I say about to lose my nerves.

-We will be right. – Mom talks for the first time. – But you have to take care too. You are fast and brave, maybe you can win.

-Maybe. – I agree, because I was good at fighting, but that was years ago and I'm sure that my competition will be hard. But I can't tell them to keep fighting if I have already given up. – And we will be as rich as Haymitch.

-I don't care if we are rich. – Replies Prim. – I just want you to return alive. You will try, right? Really, really try?

- Really, really try. I swear. – I have to return alive, for them.

- I want to return you something. – She says softly. She takes the locket off her neck and holds it out to me. – For good luck. – She says; I take the locket in my hands and I put it around my neck.

I'm about to cry but a then a peacekeeper enters and signals that our time has run out. I hug each of them so hard that it hurts. – I love you, I love you three. I love you. – I whisper sadly.

I bury my head in one of the velvet pillows trying to block everything. Someone else enters the room; I look up and see the baker, Peeta Mellark's father. I can't think of a reason for him coming to see me, after all, I'll be trying to kill his son. He doesn't know me, but he knows Prim.

He pulls a white paper from his jacket pocket and holds it out to me. I open it and find cookies. These are a luxury I can never afford.

-Thank you. – I can't think of anything else to say. We wait in silence until a peacekeeper comes in and he leaves.

-I'll keep an eye on the girls. Make sure they eat enough. – He says before leaving. I feel some of the pressure on my chest lighten at the words. My next guest is also unexpected. Madge enters the room, she walks straight at me, and she's not weeping instead she looks determinate.

-They let you wear one thing from your district in the arena. One thing that reminds you of home. A token. Will you wear this? - She holds her small gold pin to me. It is a flying bird, but not a common bird. It's a mockingjay, a symbol of rebellion against the Capitol. I don't know where she got it.

-Your gold pin? – I ask surprised. – Are you sure?

-Yes, I'll put it in your dress, all right? – She doesn't wait for my answer she leans and fixes the pin in my dress. – Please, promise you'll wear it, Carolyne? Promise?

-Yes, I swear. – I say.

She gives me a small kiss in the cheek, maybe Madge has been my friend all along. She leaves and Gale enters.

-Listen. – He says. – You're good at throwing knifes, and getting one is pretty easy, but still your best chance is getting a bow. You are better at it.

-They don't always have bows. - I say remembering some past Hunger Games.

-Make one. – He replies. – A weak bow will be better for you than no bow at all.

-Even if I had a bow, there are twenty four of us and just one gets out alive.

-Carolyne, it's just hunting. – He whispers sadly. – You are the best hunter that I know. Even better than your sister.

-It's not just hunting, Gale. They think and they are armed.

-You too. And you have real practice. You know how to kill.

-Not people. – I lie.

-How different can't it be? – He says grimly, not noticing my lie.

The awful reality is that he is right and I know it. In my short life I have killed people, seen people being killed, and almost been killed by people. At least, with all that terrible experiences I learned something: people are dangerous but not invulnerable.

The peacekeeper returns and says our time is out. Gale asks for more time but they are taking him away.

-Take care of them, don't let them starve. – I shout.

I'm left alone for some seconds, outside the door I hear Gale struggling and arguing. Then a peacekeeper takes me to the back door of the Justice Building. Effie Trinket and Peeta Mellark are already there. We get into a black elegant car that takes us to the Train Station.

The Station is full of people and reporters with cameras that try to get a good shot of my face. When I was a child, I learned to wipe my face clean of emotions. I look at my face in one of the screens and I see that I look inexpressive, bored and uninterested.

I look at Peeta's face. His eyes are red and swollen from crying. He doesn't try to hide it. Maybe it's his strategy, looking weak. It worked a few years ago for Johanna Mason, the female tribute from District 7. If that's his strategy, it will take an awful lot of weeping to convince someone to overlook him.

We stand in front of the doorway of the train for a moment, while cameras try to take a good shot of us. Then we enter and the train starts moving. Peeta seems shocked because of the speed but I have already been in a train like this, so I'm not surprised at all.

I sit in a sofa beside the window, and Peeta sits in an armchair in front of me. We keep quiet for some minutes until Effie appears and starts babbling about everything that we can do in the train and everything that we will see in the Capitol, as if I'm interested. This is going to be a long journey.

**Please read and review!**

**Here is my reply to Dream I Dare review:**

**Snow never forgot about her, because he knew that she could be a threat, and in the Capitol, during the interviews Caesar will point out she was there before.**

**Taylor**.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: On a train, again.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**The title isn't my best but I didn't know what to put.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

We hear Effie babbling for almost half an hour, until she remembers that she has to show us our chambers. She takes us away from the dining wagon and shows Peeta his chamber then she takes me to my own chamber.

Everything is exactly how I remembered: each chamber has a fancy bedroom, a dressing area and a private bathroom, with hot and cold running water; the dining room is full of food and the escort spends her time babbling about things we can't even understand.

Before Effie leaves me alone in my room she says that dinner will be ready at 7:00 and that I have to be on time I the dinning wagon. Great, it's just 4 o'clock, I'll have three hours alone.

I sit near the window and look through it. Now, that I have finally been left alone, what should I do? Cry? No, I have never liked crying. Escape and hide? No, it's practically impossible to escape alive from this train and even if I could, where will I hide? Or maybe I can act my own death. No, that's pretty much melodramatic.

I look at the clock that is in the nightstand, it strikes 4:30. I get up and walk straight to the shower. I take my clothes off and I open the faucet, I get in and start washing my hair with shampoo that smells like strawberries. I close my eyes as my memories try to emerge but I manage to block them; I finish taking a shower, I wrap a towel around my body and I walk to the dressing area.

There are many drawers filled with many different clothes; I open the first one I see, and pull out some underwear, then I start searching through the other drawers. I dress on a dark blue shirt and white pants; I bend my mother's blue dress and put the gold pin on my shirt. The bird on the pin is a mockingjay, a slap in the face for the Capitol, a mutation that went wrong and now it's a wild bird that lives in the forest. Dad was very fond of mockingjays, they loved his voice and he had enough patience to sing for them.

When the clock strikes 7 o'clock, Effie Trinket comes to collect me for dinner. I follow her to the dining wagon. Now, I look at the details of the room; there are polished paneled walls, black wooden furniture, highly breakable dishes, and Peeta Mellark is already sited, and the chair next to him is empty.

-Where's Haymitch? – Effie Trinket asks brightly.

-Last time I saw him, he was going to take a nap. – says Peeta.

-Well, it's been such an exciting day. – She replies, she is obviously relieved by Haymitch absence. I'm too.

Dinner comes in courses. Thick carrot soup, green salad, lamb chops and mashed potatoes, cheese and fruit, chocolate cake. Effie suggests us to keep space because there's more food coming, but I stuff myself of everything I see. So many years without having enough food are good for no one. Maybe the best thing I can do now is to gain some pounds before the Games.

-Thanks goodness, you have decent manners. – Effie says as we are finishing the main course. – The last year tributes ate everything like a pair of savages. They ate everything using their hands.

This comment disgusts me. The tributes from last year were to kids from the Seam who had never had enough to eat, so when they saw this amount of food they were excited and of course they forgot about manners.

Now that meal has finished, I'm fighting to keep the food down. Peeta is looking a little green too. Neither of us is used to such rich food, and never in such a great amount.

-Aren't you excited about the Reapings in other Districts? - asks Effie in an excited tone. – What do you think about going to the next wagon to see the Reapings in the huge TV?

-Yes, of course, Effie. – replies Peeta in a nice tone. I just nod my head because if I open my mouth I won't be able to predict what I would say. I can't understand why this woman is so excited about kids being killed and their deaths shown on national TV.

We walk silently and we sit in the purple velvet sofa; Effie was right, the TV is huge, she turns it on and we start seeing the Reaping, starting in District 1.

District's 1 Mayor, starts with the dull Treaty of Treason, he has just finished when one boy comes to the stage and volunteers. He is asked for his name: Marvel Gradiel. Then a girl is reaped, her name is Glimmer Rockwaller, she didn't volunteered but she looks as willingly to participate in the Games as the boy.

In District 2, before the escort can even take a paper out of the glass ball, an enormous, monstrous boy, named Cato Ludvan lunges forward to volunteer, then a girl named Clove Jens volunteers too.

In District 3, no one volunteers. A girl called Rosen Blatt and a boy called Darvin Whires are reaped; they both look shocked and sad about it.

In District 4, a girl named Janine Skrulls volunteers and a boy that must be thirteen or twelve years old, named Rosham Littem is reaped.

In District 5, both tributes are reaped; a boy named Blake Coon and a fox-faced girl with sleek red hair named Finch Tedier.

District 6 tributes are a skinny girl named Gwin Carlet and a strong-looking boy named Jehan Streuss.

District 7 tributes are a strong-looking girl named Leven Skatnie and a strong-looking boy named Krane Krust.

In District 8, the girl is named Margot Florinesh and the boy is named Quirrel Turnebant.

The girl from District 9 is called Isbel Macken and the boy is named Rone Centrius.

District 10 tributes are both younger than 16 and they are named, Demelie Cahorny and Ivo Cowden, he has a crippled foot.

A twelve year old girl named Rue Shinner and an eighteen year old boy named Thresh Traver

And there is when I appear shouting like if I was insane, volunteering and taking the place of my sister in the Reaping. Haymitch trips over and falls and Peeta is reaped.

Effie is disgusted about the state her wig was in.

-Your mentor has to learn a lot about televised behavior and presentation. - She comments.

-He was drunk. – says Peeta and he laughs unexpectedly. – He's drunk every year.

-Every day. – I add spontaneously, and then I laugh.

- It's odd that you find it amusing. Your mentor is your lifeline to the world in these Games. He can be the difference between your life and your death! – Effie hisses.

Haymitch enters the compartment. –Did I miss supper? – He asks, and then he vomits all over the carpet and falls in the mess.

-Laugh away! – says Effie. She hops in her pointy shoes and flees the room.

We stay still for a few moments, trying to take in the scene of our mentor trying to rise out the slippery vile stuff from his stomach. The smells are about to bring my dinner up.

Maybe Haymitch isn't much, but Effie Trinket is right, he is the only thing we've got once we are in the arena.

In an unspoken agreement, Peeta and I help him to his feet.

-I tripped? – He asks and wrinkles his nose. – Smells bad.

-You don't say. – I reply sarcastically.

-Let's get you back to your room and clean you a bit. – Peeta says.

We take him to his compartment and as we can't leave him on the bed in that state, we put him inside the bathtub and turn the shower on him. I think he doesn't even notice it. Peeta looks at me with and odd look in his face.

-What? –I ask sharply.

-Don't worry, I can take it from here. –He says, ignoring the tone of my voice, but still I'm grateful, since the last thing I want to do now is to strip Haymitch down, wash the vomit of his chest hair and tuck him into bed. Maybe Peeta is just being nice, or he wants to be Haymitch's favorite once the Games begin.

-All right, I can send want of the Capitol people to help you. – I suggest kindly.

-No I don't want them. – He says.

I nod and head to my own room. I understand him, tough making the Capitol people to deal with Haymitch is kind of revenge. I wonder why he doesn't want them. He is being kind. I hate kind people, they are dangerous because they make other people to trust in them and then they stab them in the back. A kind Peeta Mellark is a bigger threat than an unkind one. I need to stay away from him, as much as I can.

The train stops at a platform to refuel and I open the window for fresh air. I remember the cookies and I take them in my hands, I eat one and I look through the window, maybe the cookies were a strategy from Peeta Mellark, but they are delicious, I won't waste them. I see a little bird searching for some food in the grass I throw pieces of cookies in its direction and it takes some, then he flies away. The train starts moving again and I close the window, I stay hours looking through the window. At some moment, we pass the outsides of a district, which one? I don't know. Maybe 7 or 8.

The clock strikes two o'clock in the morning and I'm still awake. I decide that it's better to sleep now, tomorrow would be a hard day and I need some rest.

I take my clothes off and I crawl into bed. Probably, the drawers have a lot of nightgowns for me to use, but I'm more comfortable just using my underwear.

Before I close my eyes, I decide that the better time to cry is now, but I have no tears, so I just close my eyes and sleep. I wake up during times due to my recurrent nightmares.

When I wake up again, there is sunshine coming through my window, I'm about to sleep again when I hear a high- pitched sound that makes me jump. It is Effie calling me for breakfast.

**Maybe this was way too long, but I just didn't know how to finish the chapter. Sorry for the long time I took to update but I was pretty busy during Mother's day, but I got sick and I'm locked at home, so I'll probably update by tomorrow.**

**I apologize if there were any mistakes and please read and review!**

**Thanks to the ones who had review!**

**Taylor.**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Advice.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

-Carolyne! It's time for breakfast! – The high-pitched sound comes from Effie's voice. I think of sleeping again but then she starts knocking on the door.

-I'm coming. – I say quickly. I get up and look for my clothes. I think of using the clothes I wore yesterday, but I decide to use my mother's blue dress. I undo the braids that my mother did with my hair, I brush my hair and I re-do the braids. I fix the gold pin to my dress and I walk out of the room. I walk through the narrow hall until I reach the dining car.

-Sit down! Sit down! – says Haymitch in the moment I enter the wagon. In the moment I sit, I'm served and enormous plate of eggs, ham, piles of fried potatoes. There is fruit sited in ice to keep it chilled. A basket of rolls that would keep my family going for a week. Orange juice served in an elegant glass. A cup of coffee and a cup of chocolate. I stare at the hot chocolate for some minutes; it brings me memories of my childhood.

-It is called hot chocolate. – Peeta says. He thinks that I have never tried it before. – It's good.

I take a sip of chocolate; it tastes almost like the one my mother used to make, before Margaret died. I eat until my stomach is about to explode. I lean back and watch the others. Peeta is breaking off bits of roll and dipping them in chocolate. Haymitch is knocking back a glass of red juice that he keeps thinning with a clear liquid from a bottle. Judging by the smell, it is some kind of spirit. I'm sure that he'll be incoherent by the time we get to the Capitol. No wonder why District 12 tributes never have a chance.

-So, you are supposed to give us advice. – I say to him.

-Here's some advice. Stay alive. - He replies and then burst out laughing.

-Ja, ja, ja. – I laugh sardonically.

-That's very funny. – Peeta says in a hard tone, and then he lashes out at the glass in Haymitch hand. It shatters on the floor. – Only not to us.

Haymitch seems to think for a moment, then punches Peeta in the jaw, knocking him off his chair. When he returns to reach for the spirits I drive my knife into the table, barely missing his fingers. I prepare myself to avoid his hit, but instead he sits back and stares at us.

-What a surprise! – He says in a disgusting voice. – Did I actually get a pair of fighters?

Peeta takes some ice from the fruit tureen; he puts it on the red mark in his jaw.

- No, let the bruise show. The audience will think that you mixed it up with another tribute before you even made it to the arena. – Haymitch says.

-That's against the rules. – Says Peeta concerned.

-Only if they catch you. – I add. – The bruise will say that you fought and you weren't caught, even better. – Why the hell am I trying to help him?

-Can you hit anything with that knife, besides the table? – Haymitch asks, staring at me.

During my childhood I learned to use almost every weapon, but knife were my favorites until I learned to use bow and arrows. Right now, I'm much better at bow and arrows than at throwing knifes.

When I take the knife between my fingers, my old personality comes to the surface again. I start calculating the distance, the weight of the knife and my own strength. I throw the knife and it gets stuck between two wooden panels.

-Come here. Both of you. – says Haymitch. – Not all is lost with you too. You have skills and once the stylists get hold of you, you'll be attractive enough. I'll make a deal with you. You don't mess with my drink and I'll be sober enough to help you. – It's not much of a deal but I'm sure that I won't get something better.

-Fine. –Peeta says.

-Well, what are the best strategies… - I start saying but Haymitch cuts me off

-One thing at a time. First you are being put in the stylists' hands. You won't like what they are going to do to you. But no matter what it is, don't resist.

I don't say anything; I have passed by the stylist many times so it doesn't scare me. Haymitch takes his bottle and he goes out of the car; Peeta and I stand in silence for some minutes, then the car goes dark. I realize that we must be in the tunnel that runs up through the mountains into the Capitol. We stay still until bright light floods the compartment. I start moving to the window, unconsciously; Peeta is doing mostly the same. We both want to see the Capitol, the city that rules over Panem.

**I know that nothing very important happened in this chapter, but I promise that the next one will be better. Review and I'll update sooner.**

**Taylor.**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Opening ceremonies.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**This is my second chapter today!**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

I'm taken by peacekeepers into the Remake Center, the place where tributes are fixed to look clean, fake and beautiful.

I walk through a door and look at my prep team. They look a little older and they have more surgical alterations but they are the same people that I met six years ago. Octavia, Venia and Flavious. They look at me and they don't recognize me for a moment, until Venia comes nearer to me and looks at the locket that is hanging from my neck.

-Carolyne Sunshine! – she says in her funny Capitol accent. – Is it you? – She asks and I nod. – Really? How long without seeing you!

Octavia and Flavious recognize me and they start waxing my body. The first time they did this, I was a kid and I have no visible body hair, but now time has passed and I have some fine hairs that cover my body. I grit my teeth every time that Venia yanks a strip of fabric from my body, tearing out the hair beneath it. Then they scrub down my body with a gritty loam, removing dirt and what seem to be three layers of skin. Finally, they turn my nails in perfect ovals.

-You are doing great! – Flavious says. – Just like the first time.

-She has never been a whiner. – Octavia says. – That's what I like her.

They pull me from the table and they circle me wielding tweezers to remove any remaining hair. They step back and admire their work.

-Excellent! – says Flavius. – You look like a human being again! – They all laugh.

-Thank you. – I reply sweetly, I feel venom flowing inside my veins. – I haven't had many reasons to look nice, since I live in District 12. – I say in a childlike tone.

-Oh, poor darling! – Says Octavia.- Don't worry, you will look absolutely gorgeous when Cinna ends with you

-Let's call Cinna! – Flavius bursts; they go out of the room and leave me alone.

After all these years there are still idiots, that's why it is difficult for me to hate them.

I walk around the room, I bend my mother's blue dress and I fix the pin in it again. The door opens and a young man enters. He must be Cinna, but I'm not sure since I have never seen him. He looks normal; he has no surgical alterations and he is not wearing strange clothes.

-Hello, Carolyne. My name is Cinna. I'm going to be your stylist.- he says quietly, his voice lacks from the Capitol accent.

-Hello. – I say in an inexpressive voice. A memory comes to my mind and I ask: - What happened to Keira?

- She quit the job last year. I'm replacing her. – He answers distracted. – Who did your hair?

-My mother.

-It's beautiful. She has clever fingers. – He says.

-Are you hungry? – He asks. – Why don't you put on your robe and we'll have a chat?

We sit on two red couches, there's a low table in front of us. Cinna presses a button on one side of the table. The top splits and from below raises a second tabletop that holds our lunch. Chicken and chunks of orange cooked in a creamy sauce laid on a bed of pearly white grain, tiny green peas and onions, rolls shaped like flowers and for dessert, a pudding the color of honey.

-Let's talk about your costume. As you know, it's customary to reflect the flavor of the district. – He says.

The flavor of my district is coal and mines. I prepare myself for the worst.

-A coal miner outfit? – I ask without thinking.

- No. Portia and I think that the miner outfit is pretty overdone. If you wear that nobody would remember you, and my job is to make District 12's tributes unforgettable. – Cinna answers. Perhaps, I'll end up naked.

-So instead of focusing on coal mining, we are focusing on coal – He keeps saying. I'll end up naked and covered in black dust. – And what do we do with coal? We burnt it.

Maybe not naked but probably over cooked. Cinna sees my expression and grins. – You are not afraid of fire, are you, Carolyne?

-This is the most sensational costume I have ever seen! – I exclaim, when Cinna asks me what I think. It is a simple black unitard that covers me from ankle to neck. Shiny black leather boots laced up to my knees, a fluttering cape and a matching headpiece.

-Be honest. – He says looking carefully at my face.

-Fine. This is the most sensational or deadliest costume I have ever seen in my life. – I reply.

-Don't worry. – He tries to calm me down. – It's just synthetic fire. – He laughs and I can help but thinking that maybe Cinna's calm and normal demeanor masks a complete madman.

We walk out of the room and we get into the elevator, we reach the bottom level, which is full of chariots, horses, tributes, escorts and mentors. When we arrive, Peeta is already next to a chariot that is pulled by two black horses. Cinna helps me into the chariot and then he turns to Portia.

-Did you bring the fire? – He asks politely. I feel my muscles tightened and I try to keep my heartbeat steady. I'm afraid of fire since I was 11 because it reminds me of explosions. Airplane explosions and mine explosions. Cinna and Portia start preparing the synthetic fire while Effie babbles about our costume and Haymitch tries to avoid hearing her.

-What do you think? – I ask Peeta. – About the fire?

-I'll rip off your cape, if you rip off mine. –he answers.

-Deal. – I say. This deal brings me an opportunity of not being overcooked.

-Don't you think that Haymitch must protect us from things like this? – He asks concerned.

-With all that alcohol inside, it's better if he is not around an open flame. – I say and we laugh maniacally. The stress and the fear of become a human torch are making me act insensibly.

The opening music begins and Cinna appears. – Here we go then, - he says and before I can even react he sets our costumes and headpieces on fire. – It works! – So he hadn't tested it before. He gently tucks a hand under my chin. –Remember, heads high. Smiles. - He says to the both of us but the he points at me. - They already love you, Carolyne, The girl on fire.

The chariot starts moving and we go out of the building. Before we stop seeing him, Cinna tells us something.

-What is he saying? – I ask Peeta.

-I think he said for us to hold hands. – He answers as he grabs my right hand in his left.

-When we are out the building, the crowd's alarm is almost palpable, but then it changes to cheers and shouts of District 12! Every head turns our way and people bothers in searching our first names. I hear people screaming my name, I look at the large television screen and I froze. We are gorgeous, stunning, dazzling. I look one hundred times better than the first time I was here.

We reach the City Circle and I realize that I must have stopped the circulation of Peeta's hand. I loose my grasp, but he regains the grip on me.

-Don't let me go. – He says. – I might fall off this thing. – All the chariots are now surrounding the City Circle. The music ends and President Snow give all the tributes the official welcome. Cameras try to focus on each tribute several times but it is obvious that we appear in the screen way more than the others. Cameras and Capitol citizens are not the only ones who focus on us, I can feel and see President Snow snake-like eyes fixed on me. Snow ends his speech and all the chariots disappear inside the Training Center.

-Thanks for keeping hold of me. I was a little shaky. – Peeta whispers. He is trying to be kind. I smile and I scream at myself that he is more dangerous if I like him.

-Don't worry. I'm sure that no one noticed. –I say with an evil grin on my face.

-The only thing they noticed was you. – He says. – Flames suit you. You should wear them more often.- He gives me a smile that seems so genuinely sweet with just the right touch of shyness that an unexpected warm rushes through me.

-Don't be so stupid. – I shout to myself. – He is planning how to kill you. He is trying to confuse you. Don't give him the satisfaction. Focus, Carolyne, FOCUS. But two can play the same game, I stand on tiptoe and give him a small kiss in the cheek. Right on the bruise. Then I step backward and give him another evil grin.

**Please, read and review! I'll keep updating. Any mistake or questions, just tel me!**

**Taylor**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Old Betrayal.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

Each District has its own level in the Training Center. Since we are from District Twelve we have got the top floor. After we get down from the chariots we walk to the elevator and press the button that has the number 12. This system is for fools.

The living room is beautiful despite being overloaded with ornaments and glitter. There are two grey leather sofas and a soft red velvet couch; they are in front of a huge television. The dining room walls are painted in light blue with black and silver details; the wooden furniture is painted of a bright yellow and it has an odd and unconventional shape. In both rooms, there are gold or silver chandeliers, but instead of using candles they use extremely shiny light bulbs. There are two or three walls that are fully made of glass and that give us a breathtaking view of the city. Now, that the sun has almost gone down, the city sparkle; the colors are just like I remember them, they seem so impossible, so unreal and they keep hurting my eyes.

I walk straight to my room, closing the door behind me; I need some time for myself and I won't get it if Effie keeps interrupting my thoughts with her high-pitched voice. I analyze the room, automatically searching for a way out of this. Escaping is impossible; windows are the thickest ones I have seen in my life; the whole Training Center is guarded by dozens of Peacekeepers; I'm sure that each room is being monitored by security cameras; in other words: I'm damned.

Despite the lack of escaping ways, the room is beautiful. In the center it's a large bed, with soft blankets and fluffy pillows; there is an enormous closet, which I can program to choose an outfit to my taste; the shower has many buttons and there are many machines that do everything for me; I can even ask for food from a menu in a little mouthpiece and the food arrives immediately. Everything is just how I remember it.

I take my costume off and enter to the shower; I press different buttons, programming it with cold water. I change in a green cotton blouse with white pants; I put on black sandals.

I ask for some fresh fruit, and I sit to eat it near the window. I watch the window, making it change into different views of the city and its surroundings. I sit there until the clock strikes 7 o'clock. I hear a soft knock; Effie calling me for dinner.

Portia, Cinna and Peeta are already sitting at the table, Effie and I join them and, to my surprise, Haymitch joins us too. I'm glad that the stylists are here, without them the dinner will end up in disaster.

Three avoxes start serving our food. Potato soup, bitter greens with tomatoes the size of peas, roast beef and gravy and noodles in green sauce. To drink we have water and wine.

The adults start talking about our interview costumes and what our strategies will be. I keep eating in silence; I already know what my strategy will be and I'm not sure if I want everyone to know. When everyone has finished the meal several avoxes serve our dessert, it's a gorgeous-looking cake, and it ignites for some seconds, due to the alcohol in it.

-I know you. – I say when I look at the avox girl in the face. I remember her face, her name, the boy that was with her in the forest. Lavinia, the girl who I betrayed in the forest.

An expression of terror crosses her face and she hurries away from the table. I look around me and I see the four adults watching my like hawks.

-Don't be ridiculous, Carolyne. How can you know an avox? –Effie snaps. – That's almost impossible, even if you have already been here, in the Capitol.

-What's an avox? – I ask like if I didn't remember the day that I ate dinner with President Snow.

-People who committed a crime have their tongues cut, so that they are unable to speak. – Haymitch answers. – She must be a traitor. Not likely that you know her.

- And even if you did, you are not to speak to one of them, unless it is an order. – Effie says. – Of course, you didn't know her.

But I know her, I saw her like one or two years ago, running for her life and I begging me to help her.

-Delly Cartwright. – Peeta says suddenly. – She looked familiar to me too. Then I realized that she looks just like Delly.

Delly Cartwright is as similar to the avox girl as the Capitol and District 12. They have nothing to do with each other, but Peeta is trying to help me so I jump on his suggestion gratefully.

-Of course, that's who I was thinking of. It must be the hair. – I say, with an unnoticeable hint of sarcasm in my voice.

-If that's all. – Cinna says, and I can feel how the energy at the table relaxes.

We eat the cake and move into the living room to watch the replay of the opening ceremonies. Peeta and I really look stunning.

-Whose ideas was the hand holding? – Haymitch asks.

-Cinna's – says Portia.

-The perfect touch of rebellion. –says Haymitch. – Very nice.

Rebellion? The word surprises me and I turn my head to the screen trying to see if there is any signal of uprising but something else catches my attention, we are the only the tributes who don't act like if the other one wasn't inexistent. We act like friends not like enemies. That's the rebellion Haymitch is talking of.

-Tomorrow is your first training session. Meet me for breakfast and I'll tell you exactly what to do. Now get some sleep and let the grown-ups talk. – Haymitch tells us. We walk together down the corridor to our rooms. When we get to my door, he leans against the frame, wanting my attention.

-Imagine finding Delly's look-alike here. – He says. He wants an explanation and I should give him one. He covered me, explaining him is the only thing I can do now. Why do I always get debts with him? Telling him won't make such damage, even if he repeated the story.

I hesitate and he notices so he changes of suspect:

-Have you been on the roof yet?

-No. Have you? - I ask.

-Cinna showed me. You can practically see the whole city. The wind's a bit loud, though. – He says. The real mining of his words is that no one will overhear us talking.

-Can we just go up? – I ask.

-Sure, come on. – He replies.

I follow him through some stairs that lead to the roof. When we get there I walk nearer to the balcony and look at the breathtaking view. The view brings me the memories of the time I visited New York, the city that never sleeps.

-I asked Cinna, if the Capitol wasn't worried that some tributes might decide to jump right over the side? – He says.

-What did he said? – I ask.

-You can't. –he replies.

I hold my hand out in what seems to be an empty space, there's a sharp zap and I quickly remove it. – There's some kind of electric field that throws you back to the roof. – I say mechanically. - The Capitol is always so worried about our safety. – I say sarcastically. – Do you think they are watching us?

-Maybe. Come see the garden. – He says. He thinks the same that me, maybe they are recording us with some security cameras.

I sit on a bench that is surrounded by plants full of flowers, there are some wind chimes hanging from the tree branches, they make enough sound to cover our voices. Peeta sits beside me and I pretend to be analyzing a blossom.

-One day, we were hunting in the forest, - I start.

-You and your father? - He asks.

-No. My sister, my friend Gale and I. – I answer. – Suddenly I heard the sound of someone running through the forest, I turned around and I saw them. The girl and a boy, they seemed to have many nights without sleeping and they were all covered in bruises and wounds. All birds stopped singing at the same time, except of one. It seemed to be singing a warning. Then the hovercraft appeared out of nowhere, - he looks at me with confused eyes. – I mean that one moment the sky was empty and all of a sudden the hovercraft was there. They saw the hovercraft and they started panicking. A spare was thrown from the hovercraft and it went through the boy's heart. I'm sure he was dead. Then they threw a net over the girl and take her away. I heard her crying out the boy's name twice.

-Do you think they were from here? - He asks.

-Yes. – I answer monotonically.

-And did they saw you?

-No. We were under a shelf rock –Yes. At least the girl saw me. I was her last hope and now she will always remember me. You never forget the person who was you last hope. I start shivering and Peeta puts his jacket around my arms.

-I think we should sleep now. Tomorrow it's going to be a hard day. – He says gently.

We get to my door again.

-See you. – He says, and walks down the hall.

I enter my room and see the avox girl taking my costume.

-I'm so sorry. – I say. Meaning to apologize about not helping her in the forest and getting her into trouble tonight, and then I remember what Effie said about talking to him. – I was supposed to take this to Cinna. – I point at the things in her hands. – Can you take them to him?

He nods and walks away. I crawl into bed and close my eyes. Only one thought comes to my mind.

Lavinia, the avox girl. Will she enjoy watching my death? Yes, she will.

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**I'll try to update soon.**

**Taylor.**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Training Morning.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

-Margaret! Please, don't go. Please stay. Do it for me! – I wake up screaming.

Sunlight is coming through the window, I look at the clock in the nightstand, and it marks 7:30 A.M. I get up and walk straight to shower because I'm covered in a cold sweat. I press buttons without seeing them and I wake up trying to avoid jets of icy cold water and boiling ones; I press some other buttons and a lemony foam covers me from head to toe, I wash it from and body, reactivation my circulation. I dry and moisture my skin, then I put the clothes that Cinna prepared for me: tight black pants, a burgundy tunic and leather shoes. I make two braids, one at each side of my head and join them in a ponytail at the back of my head.

I walk down to the dining room; the table is empty but a long board off to the side has been laid with at least 20 different dishes. – Can I serve myself? – I ask to the young man standing at my left. He nods. I take a bowl and serve some oatmeal and milk in it and I sit at the table. I'm alone, so I watch in silence the sun rising over the Capitol. When I'm done with the oatmeal, I load another plate with scrambled eggs, sausage, mashed potatoes, slices of watermelon and pancakes with maple syrup. I take a glass and fill it with orange juice. This is the one of the best breakfasts that I've ever had since I arrived to Panem. I finish with my food and take some rolls and hot chocolate.

The clock strikes 9:15, Katniss and Prim are in school and Mom must be cleaning a little or preparing some things for dinner.

– Good morning. – Haymitch growls, coming in to the dining room.

-Morning. – I whisper softly. – Good Morning for you too, Peeta. – He is wearing the same clothes as I am. I mustn't criticize the stylist chooses but this is going to blow out in our face once the Games begin. Haymitch loads a plate with every single thing he sees and sits at the table.

-Let's get down to business. Training. If you like I'll coach you separately. Decide now. – He says.

-Why would you coach us separately? – I ask.

-Say you have a secret skill you might not want the other to know about. – Haymitch replies.

Peeta looks at me. – I don't have any secret skill, and I already know yours, right?

-Well, - I start hesitating. – I have some different skills, but I don't really care about you discovering them. So, you can couch us together. – I finish.

-Give me an idea of what you can do. – Haymitch continues.

-Nothing. Unless you count baking bread. – Peeta says

-I don't. Carolyne, you are handy with knife. Can you do anything else? – Haymitch asks to me.

-I'm good at martial arts, I can shoot with a gun and hit the target at one mile or so, even if it if moving. I'm good at throwing knife. I can use swords, especially the similar to the katanas. I can fight hand-to-hand and I'm good at gymnastics. And I can hunt with bow and arrow. – I say. I have some other skills but there are not really important right now.

-Are you good at it? – Haymitch asks.

-Yes. – I say a little arrogantly. I'm pretty good at hunting, maybe even a little better than Gale and Katniss. Haymitch looks at me expectantly.

-She's excellent. – Peeta says, to my surprise. – My father buys her and her sister squirrels. He always comments that the arrow never pierces the body. She hits everyone in the eye. The same as the rabbits she sells to the butcher and she can get down deer; I won't be surprised if one day she gets down a bear.

-What are you doing? – I ask, with a death glare.

-What are you doing? If he's going to help you, he must know what you are able to do. Don't underrate yourself. – He says ignoring my eyes.

-You are underrating yourself. I have seen you at the market; - I look at Haymitch. - He can lift hundred-pound bag of flour; he can wrestle.

-I'm sure that the arena will be full of bag of flour to throw at people. – He replies sarcastically. – How many times have you seen someone wrestling someone to death? It is not like being able to use a weapon, you know.

-There's hand-to-hand combat. You just have to come up with a knife. – I say. – At least you will have a chance. If I get jumped, I'm dead! – I lie.

-You won't! You will be living on a tree eating raw squirrels and picking off people with arrows. – He says. – You know what my mother told me when she came to say goodbye, "Maybe District 12 would finally have a winner this year." And she didn't meant me, she meant you.

-Of course, she meant me. – I say sarcastically. – She hates me since I was a kid.

-She doesn't hate you; she even thinks you are a survivor. – He replies, indifferent to my sarcasm.

-I wouldn't even be here, if you hadn't helped me. – I say stupidly. I look at him; his eyes tell me that he still remembers the day under the rain.

-People will be tripping over each other to sponsor you. They will help you. – He says with a hint of pain in his voice.

-You will be helped too. – Why am I trying to help him? He will wish my death.

He rolls his eyes and looks at Haymitch:

-She has no idea. The effect she can have.

What the hell does that means? That people help me? Or that I'm weak and needy? No, I'm not weak and I don't really need people's help. I'm not pitied, I've never been pitied and I won't be pitied.

-Okay. Both of you stop arguing. – Haymitch says annoyed. – Well, Carolyne, I can't guarantee that there will be bow and arrows in the arena, but be sure to show your skill to the Game makers during your private session. Peeta don't underestimate the strength. When you are in the arena, strength can tilt the advantage to a player. The plan is the same for both of you. You pass your time learning skills that you don't know. Don't show the others what you can do. – He says waiting for our response. We both nod. – Try to look mediocre.

Mediocre? He wants me to look mediocre? Like a stupid kid who is unable to do anything. This must be a joke, or at least a suggestion.

-And one more thing. In public, I want you by each other's side. – He says.

-Are you kidding me? – I ask rudely. – Do you want me to be around him all day?

-I won't spend all my day around her. – Peeta says taking revenge of my last words.

-Yes, you will. – He screams at us. – You will be each other's shadow. Want it or not. You have to be together and kind when you are in public. Now, you have meet Effie at 10 o'clock in the elevator.

I walk out of the dining room and into my room. I let out a scream of frustration, clean my teeth and smooth my hair again. I walk down the hall to the elevator and notice that Peeta and Effie are already there; we enter the elevator and I hit the button.

-Manners! – Effie complains at me. I roll my eyes without her noticing.

The elevator door opens and we enter an enormous gymnasium. The other tributes are already there, waiting to start training.

**Sorry, if I took too long to update. Hope you liked it! Please read and review!**

**Taylor.**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Training – Day 1.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

-If you want to win the Games you have to be prepared. In the arena there are different factors that can cause your death. – Atala says in voice full of authority. – You can die of illness, wounds and injuries. You can starve to death or dehydrate. These three days are planned for you to learn survival and fighting techniques, it's your decision to use them or not. Any question? – She asks, but nobody interrogates her. – You can go to the stations you want.

-Where do you want to start? – Peeta asks. Everyone else is moving to the different stations, we are the only ones who had not moved.

-Suppose we tie some knots. – I say bored. We walk to the knot station; it is empty and the trainer smiles at us when we arrive. He teaches us some basic knots that I learn in minutes but Peeta takes like half an hour to do the first knot. The trainer teaches us an easy trap that will get a human hanging from a foot. We finish our lesson and walk away. – Where do we go now?

-What do you think about the camouflage station? –Peeta suggests.

-Let's go. – I reply.

-Try to camouflage your arm in any of these environments. – The trainer says when he sees us. He's pointing at some trees, grass, rocks and other natural things that are in the area. I decide to go for the dry grass and start to paint my arm in some yellowish paint. I take fifteen minutes and pull my arm to the piece of dry grass.

-Wonderful! – The trainer encourages Peeta. He has painted his arm like a rock. I should admit, even if I don't want, that he is really good at this.

-How did you do it? – I ask while cleaning the paint off my arm.

-I do the cakes. – He admits.

-Cakes? – I ask. Then I realize what he meant. – Oh! At home, the iced ones at the bakery. The ones that are displayed in the window. Right?

-Yes. – He says a little surprised.

-It will be great if only you could frost someone to death. – I say. -Take care of trees and stones. - I make a mental note for myself. He can be dangerous with that skill for camouflage. – Lets move.

-Let's go to the Edible plants station. – I say firmly. In that station, there is a large keyboard but instead of letters it has picture of different plants. You have to press the edible ones. It's simply as hell.

I press the "Start" button of the keyboard and the timer starts. I press at my top speed all the edible plants that I see on the keyboard. I look at every space memorizing each picture and analyzing it in my mind. I finish pressing the edible plants pictures on the keyboard and press the button "Finished". I got everything right and in less than 3 minutes. I can fell Peeta staring at me in shock.

-How did you do that? – He demands. – It's amazing.

-Some special training during my childhood and many years spend in the forest. – I respond. – The trick is trusting in your skills, otherwise, you are dead. – I finish dramatically.

-Want to start a fire? – I ask pointing at the fire station. He nods and we walk away.

-You are a little too dependent on matches. – The trainer says looking at the fire I started. – Why don't you try to use some burnt fabric or stone?

I start working on my fire, enjoying how Peeta suffers to start a fire with matches. I had passed some night in the forest, but we never start fires, because the Peacekeepers can see us.

At 1 o'clock a bell rings. It's time for lunch; we take breakfast and dinner at our respective floors but all tributes take lunch together in the gymnasium. We sit together, staying away from the other tributes. I take this opportunity to analyze my competitors.

Marvel, Glimmer, Cato, Clove, Janine and Rosham, are from the career districts; they have trained for this all life and they look pretty confident about winning; they are talking like all friends and during training they try to intimidate the other tributes. The Careers are good at most of the weapons, still I'm sure I can do better than them. The other tributes go from good to mediocre. The Finch, from 5, and Rue, from 11, are clever at surviving and Rue never misses a shot with the slingshot and the both of them are elusive. The only other tribute worth to be looked at is Thresh; he is almost as tall and strong as Cato.

-Hey. – Peeta distracts me from my thoughts. – The Capitol is trying to make us feel more comfortable by putting bread from each District.

-What are you talking about? – I say distracted.

-The fish-shaped and green-tinted one is from 4. The crescent moon roll dotted with seeds is from 11. This is from the Capitol. – He says pointing to a flower-shaped, white piece of bread. – And this one is from 3.

-Great! – I say faking a smile.

-Now it's your turn to talk. – He says, still in a kind tone. – I'll smile kindly while you do it.

-Last year, we had no money and Prim needed some underwear. And underwear is the only clothes that can't be used by two different persons. So, Katniss and I tried to do some underwear for her. – I say smiling at the memory. – It's unnecessary to tell that we both suck at sewing; so we buy the fabric and cut it then we put the pieces together and all the stuff. We gave the underpants to Prim and she used them. The next day at school, Prim was wearing some shorts and her underwear was too loose. So it was the end of the day and Katniss and I were waiting for Prim to come out and when she did she was running like crazy trying to keep her shorts and underpants up. "Help me!" she cried out. "I'm going to die!" she passed in front of us and we almost die of laughter. Since that day she doesn't even let us to be near her clothes.

-That really happened? – He asks trying to stop laughing.

-Yes. I would tell you to ask Prim but you should never tell her that I told you the story. - I say, trying to ignore the part that he probably would never be able to see Prim again.

-Fine. – He agrees ignoring the same I did. – It's better if you continue talking, your stories are better than mines.

-Well. One day when I was at school, back in France. – I start. He looks at me with confused eyes. – The country where I came from. My sister invited her almost boyfriend to dinner, so outside was hot as hell, and her boyfriend Nick, was wearing leather pants. I was spying him because I wanted to embarrass my sister, so I hid a small camera in almost every place of the house. Nick entered the bathroom and took off his leather pants. – He's looking at me in shock. – And when he wanted to pull them up, the pants didn't.

-So he walked onto your living room in his underpants? – He asks, still shocked.

-Worst. – I answer and then continue with the story. – He took his cell phone out an called a friend.

-Wait. What's a cellphone? - He asked confused. Damn, I forgot who I was talking with.

-Well it is like a machine from which you can't talk to almost every person in the world, you just have to have a number to call. – I try to explain.

-Well, continue with the story.

-"Alex" he said "You have to help me". "Why?" his friend replied. "I'm at Margaret's house and I was using my leather pants but they were too hot, so I came into the bathroom and took the off and now they don't come up. What do I do?". "Well, try to cut the inferior edges, that way they'll stretch a little and maybe they come up." His friend tried to help. "I did it but I cut them too much and not they look like a skirt" Nick said worried. "Then make them look like shorts" his friend continue. "I cut them too much and now they look like underwear". "Well, search some pants that look like yours". "I found one but it's too tight, but I will use them. Thank you and Bye". Nick came out of the bathroom using my sister's leather pants and he was right, they were too tight for him so the pants broke and he end up in my living room, using just his underpants. – I finished remembering how many time I passed watching the conversation.

Peeta truly laugh at the story, what can I say it's hilarious. The bell rings again and we have to continue training, we go to the other surviving stations and we finish the day. We walk to our rooms and take a shower, and then we have dinner.

-How it was? – Haymitch asks. – How were the other tributes?

-Everything was fine. – I say quickly. –Most of the other tributes are taller, heavier and bigger than me. But Peeta is the fourth tallest and one of the elders.

-What did you did? – Effie asks curiously. – What stations did you visit?

-All the ones that were about surviving. – Peeta answers.

-Did you acted like friends? – Haymitch asks.

-Yes, we did. –Peeta and I answer at the same time.

-Did you show any of your best skills? – Effie inquires.

-No. – We both reply monotonically.

-Did you learn things you didn't know? – Haymitch asks.

-Yes. – We both say. If they ask something else I will freak out.

-Something else? – Effie questions. – Something you want to talk about?

Why do they want to know everything? Why do they are not fighting? They are acting like one person, like friends. Okay, that is sort of scary.

We finish dinner and we return to our rooms. I clean my teeth and change my clothes, I crawl to bed and before my head hits the pillow I'm fast asleep.

**Thank you for the review! Keep reviewing and I'll post sooner!**

**Hope you like it and tell me what you think of the chapter! If you want, you can give me some ideas for the second training day.**

**Taylor**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Training – Day 2.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

-Want to throw some spears? – Peeta suggests. It's the second day of Training and we want to practice some fighting skills.

-Sure. – I say, walking to the station. I take a spear and I'm about to throw it when the trainer interrupts me.

-That's a dangerous weapon child. – He says in a worried tone. – I better teach you how to use it. – He thinks I have never thrown a spear, well he is pretty wrong. I make like if I don't hear him, and I throw my spear at the dummy. The spear pierces the body in the heart. I hear the trainer gasping at my back, obviously surprised at the fact that a kid from 12 is better at spears that a guy from 1. The careers and some other tributes are looking at me too. The trainer goes to the side and leaves us alone to practice.

Peeta tries to hit the dummy but he missed for a few centimeters. He looks at the side and says:

-I think we have got a shadow.

-What? – I ask at the same time that I throw a spear. – What are you talking about?

-I think her name is Rue. – He answers. I look to the side, and see the little girl from 11 that tries to hide behind a mainstay. – She's from 11.

-What can we do? – I ask. I must be good at some other things, but children are not my specialty.

-Nothing. Just keep training. – He responds. We keep throwing spears for half an hour, by the time we finish, Peeta has hit in the target 4 times and I had not missed any one.

-What if we try hand-to-hand? – I suggest. There has been quite a long time since the last time I fought someone, but I'm confident that I'm still able to do it.

-Are you sure? – He asks. –I think that hand-to-hand is pretty difficult. – He says looking at my skinny body.

-Yes. I've done it before. – I say in an arrogant tone. – It's not that difficult.

When we arrive, the station is alone. The trainer goes nearer to us and starts talking.

-Are you two going to practice hand-to-hand combat? – He says in a defiant tone. We both nod. – Who wants to go first? – He says looking at us. I move to the center of the mattress. – Are you ready, girl?

-Born ready. – I say as I put my right feet behind my left one and closing my hands into fists. The trainer tries to close his hands around my throat, but I duck just in time. I stretch my leg and the trainer trips over it. He attempts to rise to his feet but I knock him out with a sharp blow on the neck. He loses consciousness for some seconds but then he rises again and tries to lift me from the floor, my instincts arise and I jump in a somersault and hold myself from the ceiling lamp, then I jump again, falling over the trainer shoulders, he takes me down to the floor, but I kick him in the jaw. I stand up and wait for him to do the same. I kick him hard in the leg, incapacitating him to walk, run or jump; then I give him a straight blow on the abdomen and another one on the back, causing him pain and making his breathing difficult.

-You win, kid. Stop hitting me. – The trainer prays to me. – You are pretty good at this. – He says lifting himself from the floor. I notice that every single tribute and trainer has been looking at us, since we start fighting. – Can I ask you something?

-Sure.

-Where did you learn that and how is it called?

-Krav Magá. I learnt it while I was in Israel as a hostage. – I shiver at the memory.

-I didn't really understand what you just said but I think that is a good technique.

-Thanks.

-Hey, guy. – He says looking at Peeta. – It's your turn.

Peeta looks at me with fear showing in his eye, but he bravely puts himself in the center of the mattress. He starts fighting against the trainer; their fight is more based on strength than on speed.

-Good combat, kid. – The trainer says after they finish. – Both of you are good at hand-to-hand combat. – He gives us a huge grin and we walk away. A bell rings and we go for lunch. We sit on a table, away from the others and start talking as if we were friends.

-What is Israel? –Peeta asks me. – Is it a country?

-Yes. It's a country with an excellent army. – I say.

-And what is Krav Magá?

-It's an old combat technique. It is used to train Israeli soldiers. – I say remembering the time I passed in Israel. – I learned it because I was a prisoner and I wanted to escape and that was the only way to defeat the Israeli army.

-And you defeated them. Right? – He asks me concerned. I nod. – Were you injured?

-Just some bruises and small wounds. – I say confused at his preoccupation about me. – It's your time to talk.

-I have nothing to say. – He says. – I prefer to hear one of your stories.

-It was Thanksgiving Day, and all my family was at our house. – I start. – My dear cousin, James, - I say sarcastically. – was singing: "I love rock and roll. So put another dime in the jukebox, baby. I love rock and roll. So come on take your time and dance with me." He was standing up on a chair and then his mother, Aunt Cordelia, came into the dining room. She shouted at him to get down the chair, but he tripped and fall onto the turkey. He had the turkey at the top of his head, but he did not minded and kept singing: "I love Turkey Day. So put another turkey in the table, baby. I love Turkey Day. So come on take your time and eat with me."

-So he was singing with a turkey on his head. – He asks. – Wow! Your family is sort of weird, even more than mine.

-Your family is not strange. Mine is, was and will be weird. - I say referring to my biological family and my adoptive one.

-Can I ask you something? – He asks with a pained expression in his eyes.

-Yes. - I reply, wondering what does he wants to know.

-Why did you end up here?

-Because I volunteer for my sister. You were there. Remember?

-No. – He says. – I mean how did you end up in Panem?

-When my parents died, I was supposed to live with one of my relatives, but my parents did not say which of my relatives should take care of me. I was send to an orphanage and six months later I was adopted by a pair of Russian spies. We were on a plane, there was a bomb but I jumped on the moment before the airplane blow up.

-Do you miss your parents? –Why is he asking this? Why does he care?

-I don't know. – There is an awkward silence and the bell breaks it.

-What do you want to do now? – He asks me.

-Let's get some sword training. – I say, still thinking about his words "Do you miss your parents?"I honestly don't know. They weren't very good parents but they loved me and Margaret. At least that's what I want to believe.

-Are you good at swords? – Peeta asks.

-Excuse me. – I say, suddenly realizing that he has been talking for a while. – What were you saying?

-Are you good at swords? – He asks again. I thought he would be angry but his voice sounds as kind as always.

-Yes. Or at least I was.

I take a sword and program the dummy to fight against me. The dummy starts moving but I pierce it in the stomach. It tries to attack me with a holographic sword but I cut its head off before it can even move. Peeta does the same but he takes more time fighting against the dummy. Peeta is bigger and stronger than me but I'm faster and more agile than him. We pass half an hour using swords and then we go to the obstacle course.

-The objective is to run through the running track in the smallest amount of time possible. Obviously, you have to avoid the objects and obstacles. – The trainer tells us. – You're first. – He ends, pointing at me. – When I say "start" you run. Start.

I run at my top speed. The first obstacles are some branches. I jump over one and bend myself to avoid the others. Then there is a mud puddle, which I jump with the help of a rope hanging from the ceiling. There are some rocks, logs and other stuff that I have to avoid. When I finish I walk to the trainer.

-How did I do it? – I ask.

-3.5 minutes. Pretty good, kid. You are fast.

-Thanks.

-Now, your turn. – He says pointing at Peeta. He is slower and less agile than me. I wait for 5 minutes until he finishes.

-You are slower than her, but both of you did a good time. Most tributes do 6 or 7 minutes.

-Thanks. – Peeta replies and we walk away.

-What else should we try? – He asks.

-I want to throw some knifes. – I say and we walk to the station.

-It's very easy. – The trainer explains. – You pick a knife, you wait until the light of the dummy is on, and you throw the knife to the head or to the heart.

I go first. I take a knife; the dummy at my left is on. I close my eyes and throw the knife; I open them again and see that the dummy is dead; I pierced it on the head. I repeat the action many other times, always hitting the target.

-She can't be that good. – I hear Clove, the girl from 2, growling. – I'm better than her. – Se walks to the knife station and throws knifes at the dummies; she just misses one. – Ahhhhhhhh, - she screams in frustration and walks away. I grin at her and she looks at me with a death glare and then I laugh.

-You know she will try to kill you in the Arena. – Peeta says behind me.

-I know, and I don't really care. If she wants to kill me, I'll have to kill her. – I say. I'm really determined to win these Games, no matter what I have to do.

-How can you be so calmly when you talk about killing people? – Peeta asks with a horrified look in his eyes.

-It's easy. Just keep this in mind: Kill or be killed. The survival of the fittest. – I say in a dark tone.

-What if we throw some axes? –He suggest, pointing at the axe station.

-Yes. Why not? – I answer. The truth is that I've never liked throwing axes.

There are at least 25 different kinds of axes. I take one by one and throw it to the dummies. Fifteen minutes later, all dummies are dead.

-You could be a potential killer. – Peeta comments. – I should take care of my back when I'm near you.

-Don't worry. If I have to kill you, it will be fast. – I reply.

The clock strikes 6 o'clock and we return to our floor.

**Hope you liked it. Please read and review!**

**Taylor.**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Training – Day 3 and Training scores.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

-Private Sessions. – Haymitch growls when he sees us at breakfast. – Do you know what are you going to do?

-Easy. Archery, knifes, maybe axes. – I say as I fill myself with food.

-Fine. And you, Peeta? – Effie asks in her annoying voice.

-I'll throw some heavy things. – He answers.

-Well, you two are going to do great. I'm sure you will get one of the highest scores. –Effie says in a very optimist voice. – It's almost 10 o'clock. We should get going.

-Fine. – I reply with my mouth full of food. I love when she gets mad at me because of my manners.

-Manners, Carolyne. – She says. – Don't talk with your full mouth. That's disgusting.

-Yes, mother. – I whisper under my breath.

-What? – She demands.

-Nothing. – I say innocently. – Don't you think we should get going?

-Yes, honey. – She says in a softer voice.

We walk to the elevator and leave Haymitch laughing to tears. He loves when Effie gets mad, too.

-Where do we go first? – I ask Peeta, when we are in the gymnasium.

-Let's try to climb some tress. – He answers. There are no natural trees to climb, but some other things. Rue is climbing a rope, she takes Cato's knife and climbs to the ceiling; she hides behind some elastic ropes.

-Where's my knife? – Cato shouts. He points at Jehan, the boy from 6. – You took it. Give it to me.

-No…I …never….No. – Jehan starts babbling.

-Give it to me. – Cato shouts taking the boy from his shirt neck and lifting him from the floor. Some peacekeepers come and take Cato away from Jehan. – You'll pay for this. – He screams. I try hard but I end up bursting in laughter while everyone looks at me like if I was insane.

Cato comes nearer to me. – Why are you laughing? Idiot. – Cato shouts at me.

-First, I'm not an idiot; you are the idiot. – I say. His face turns crimson in rage. - Second, I laugh because of your foolish reaction; it's hilarious to see you threatening a boy who is 4 years younger than you, because you think he stole your knife. You are pathetic. You can get another knife; you are just trying to intimidate the others. – He attempts to punch me in the face, but I hold his arm and bend it to his back, making him to scream in pain. I stop before the Peacekeepers come. – Don't underestimate me, idiot. – I walk away and watch him strangulating the air. Sure he wants the air to be me.

-You shouldn't provoke him in that way. You already turned District 2 against you. – Peeta says, disapproving my behavior.

-I know; and I pretend to do the same with 1 and 4. – I reply uncaringly. – That way, the Games would have more fun. – I say sarcastically.

- I don't understand you. You volunteer to save your sister but you are eagerly to kill people. You want to return home but you are provoking other tributes to kill you. I can't understand you. – He says.

-And you won't. – I say. – You don't really know me and you probably won't.

-You are pretty closed off. Why?

-I learned long ago that if people know your secrets and feelings they can use them against you. So I don't really trust in most of the people. – Why does he care? He should be caring about his own life. – Let's climb some trees.

We pass half an hour there; Peeta tries to climb an artificial tree and I pass the time jumping from tree to tree and ropes; holding from the elastic ropes in the ceiling or just climbing things. Then, we move from one station there until the bell rings. We eat and see how the tributes are called one by one for their private sessions. When they call Peeta, I'm left alone.

-You'll do great. – He says before going.

-You too. – I reply. Not that I'm really confident about this. Not that I really care.

-Carolyne Everdeen. – A mechanic voice calls me. I smooth my hair and walk into the room. – Carolyne Everdeen. – The voice says again.

-I'm going. – I mutter. - Stupid machine.

The Gamemakers have been drinking and eating for a long time. They don't even pay attention to me when I walk in. I'll have to make them pay attention to me.

I clear my throat. – Carolyne Everdeen. – I say in the same mechanic tone as the machine.

-Who ordered the pig? – It's the only response from the Head Gamemaker, Seneca Crane. But he looks at me while I move to the knife station.

I pick up a knife and throw it at the dummy. Perfect shoot. I do the same for another five minutes, mixing somersaults and different movements as I throw the knife; always hitting on the target.

I walk to the axe station and decapitate some dummies. Then I go to the archery station; I take a bow and a quiver of arrows, I walk into the shooting range and move some dummies and human silhouettes to the center of the gymnasium. I shoot at each one; the arrows piercing them right in the heart or in the head. Then I shoot at the ceiling lamp and to the rope that is holding the boxing bag. It is perfect shooting but the Gamemakers are too busy eating the pig.

-So you think that stupid pig is worth more than me? Well you will be surprised to see that you're wrong. – I scream in my mind. I take an arrow and shoot it at the apple that the pig is holding in its mouth. The Gamemakers scream and jump, one falls into a bowl of punch.

-Oh, don't be so pathetic! You'll be dad by now, if I really wanted to kill you. – I say softly, but not loud enough for them to hear me. I feel Seneca staring at me.

-Excuse me. What did you say? -He asks using that annoying Capitol accent and faking a smile.

-Thanks for your consideration. – I say sarcastically; I leave the bow and arrows in the floor and walk away of the room.

I walk to the elevator and hit the button, when I walk into the hall, I see the others talking to me, But I don't hear them, I want to be alone. So I rush to my bedroom and close the door behind me. Haymitch and Effie knock on the door and call my name endlessly but I only go out until it is time for dinner.

I sit at the table, where everybody is waiting for me, and wait in silence for the food to arrive. The adults begin chitchat about things I don't care.

-How bad were you today? – Haymitch asks. I feel everyone staring at Peeta and me.

-By the time I showed up, they were to drunk and bored that no one bothered to pay attention to me, so I just threw some weights around until they dismissed me. –Peeta says like if he doesn't care.

-And you sweetheart? –Haymitch asks at me. His tone makes me angry even more than I was before.

-I shot an arrow at the Gamemakers. – I say.

-You did what? – Effie asks in a horrified voice.

-I. Shot. An. Arrow .At. The. Gamemakers.- I say slowly, emphasizing each word. – Actually, not at them, just in their direction.

-Why did you do that? – Portia asks calmly but with a hint of terror in her voice.

-They weren't paying attention to me; they thought that a dead pig worths more than me, so I had to show them their mistakes. – I say as everyone's eyes widen in terror because of m y insolence and arrogance.

-What did they say? – Cinna asks calmly.

-Nothing. Well, I don't know. I walked way after shooting the arrow. – I say, not really caring about it.

-Without being dismissed? – says a horrified Effie.

-I dismissed myself. – I know I promised Prim that I will try to win these Games, but I simple couldn't let them trample me. – Do you think they will arrest me?

-Don't think so. – Haymitch says. – Be a pain to replace you.

-My family? – That is what worries me the most.

-No. It would be a waste of effort. They'll probably make your life hell in the Arena, but they already promised to do that. – Haymitch replies. – What were their faces like?

-Shocked. Terrified. Ridiculous. A man tripped over a bowl of punch and a woman chocked on her drink and spit it on the face of a man. – Everyone laugh except for Effie.

-Well, is their job to pay attention to you, no matter if you are from 12.

-Thanks, Effie. Still, I'm sure that they will give me a terrible score. – I say.

Everyone has finished eating. – Talking about scores. What if we go to see them at the TV room? – Cinna suggests. Without a word everyone moves and sits in front of the TV.

-Welcome, ladies and gentleman. –Caesar start saying. – Today we will see the scores of our tributes for the 74th Hunger Games. As always we are starting with District 1.

Glimmer's photo appears behind Caesar. – 9. This girl must be skillful. – Caesars says. –The other tributes picture appear and their scores too.

Glimmer – 9 Marvel – 9

Clove –10 Cato –10

Rosen – 4 Darvin – 5

Janine – 8 Rosham – 6

Finch – 5 Blake – 3

Gwin – 3 Jehan – 2

Leven – 5 Krane – 6

Margot – 3 Quirrel – 4

Isbel – 1 Rone – 2

Demelie – 3 Ivo – 3

Rue – 7 Thresh – 10

My heart stops when I see my picture.

-Carolyne Everdeen. Caesar says, there is a pause and then the number comes. – 11.

I hear everyone cheering and greeting me. Then Peeta's picture goes out.

-Peeta Mellark. – Caesar says. – 8.

Not the best but pretty good. Everyone cheers again and greets the both of us. These are the highest scores I remember for District 12.

-Both of you did great. – Haymitch says. – Higher rating, more sponsors.

**Hope you like it. Please read and review!**

**Any mistakes, questions or suggestions, just tell me.**

**Taylor.**


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Interview Training.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**Sorry for the long time for update. **

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

My night is full of nightmares. Terrible nightmares. Mixing scenes from my past and others from my present.

I wake up at 6 o'clock but I decide to stay in bed until Haymitch goes and knocks on my door.

-I don't care if you are the queen of I don't know what, you still have to drag yourself out of bed! We got some things to talk about! – He yells at me.

-For your information, I have already dragged myself out of bed! – I yell back. I hear his footsteps and decide that is time for breakfast. I take a shower and change into some black pants and a grey shirt. I walk to the dining room where everyone is already eating. Tension is palpable in the air; everyone is silent.

-What's the important thing you couldn't wait to tell me until I decide to drag myself out of bed? – I ask while taking a bowl of cereals and milk.

-Well, we have got a change of plans… - He stops in the middle of the sentence, I glare at him and them at Peeta. For some reason, Peeta looks guilty and tries to avoid my glare.

-Keep talking. I can eat and hear at the same time.

-There has been a change of plans about our approach. – He says hesitantly.

-Explain it. – I demand rudely.

-Carolyne! Don't be rude! Watch your manners! – Effie hisses at me.

-Fine. – I reply annoyed. – Can you explain it, Haymitch? Please? – I say in a childlike voice.

-The boy has decided to be coached separately. – Everyone is tense, waiting for my reaction.

-Fine for me. Today, you are training us for the interviews, so what's my schedule?

-Both of you are having four hours with Effie for presentation and four hours with me for content. – He says and ten turns to me. – You start with Effie.

Great, being alone with Effie for a while is an annoying thing, but four hours is a torture for me.

-Have you finished eating? – She asks impatiently at me. I nod. – We should start now.

We walk into my room and she takes out a long dress that I have to wear and some high heels.

-Why do I have to use this? – I ask disgusted.

-We have to practice how to walk, talk, sit, stand, smile and act in front of people.

-And why do I have to spend four hours in it?

-Believe me. It's not as simple as it seems. Start walking.

I walk from one side of the room to the other. As I walk I see how Effie's jaw drops open in horror.

-How can you walk in such a terrible posture?

I ignore her previous comment and keep walking around. I straighten my back and held my head high; I try not to trip over something, or to hold the dress over the ankle.

-It's enough. – Effie says after 20 minutes. – Now come and sit here. – She says while pointing to the armchair.

I sit and just to make her angry, I put my feet over the table.

-Never do that, Carolyne! – She screams in horror. I take my feet down and wait for her to talk again.

-Change you position, you must always face the crowd, and when he asks you something you must turn to face Caesar.

-Fine. – I growl.

We start practicing some phrases that start with a smile, while smiling or end with a damned smile.

-Carolyne, you are not smiling!

-I won't smile, at least not in from of those people.

-Just think yourself among friends.

-They are waiting for my blood, they are not my friends!

-Try and pretend. Like this. – She puts a fake smile and turns to me. You are aggravating me but I'm still smiling at you.

-It's time for lunch. – I say rolling my eyes. I change into normal clothes and walk away, leaving Effie alone. The others are already in the dining room, Haymitch and Peeta are in a good mood, but that doesn't guarantee that I'll be in better mood in the afternoon.

-Hey, sweetheart! – Haymitch says, - Was it any good?

-What are you talking about? – I ask already annoyed, and it has just been 5 minutes.

-About your lovely morning with Effie.

-Lovely? Good joke. Have you been drinking? – I laugh sardonically.

He laughs for some minutes and then talks again:

-No, I haven't been drinking. That's your fault. – He points at me and Peeta. – And now we should see the content for the interview. He drags me out of the room and into the sitting room. WE sit there, in complete silence. Haymitch looks at me and frowns.

-What? – I ask after 10 minutes.

-I'm trying to figure out what to do with you. How are we going to present you? Right now, you shine like a star. You fell from sky 6 years ago. You went to District 12. You volunteered to save your sisters. Cinna made you unforgettable. You got the top training score. But who are you? Nobody really knows how time changed you. Nobody knows what you care of, how is your life. And they are willing to know you.

-What if I don't want them to know me?

-That will probably mean no sponsors. – He says. No sponsors, almost certain death.

-Can I ask what Peeta's approach is?

-Likeable. He does well at it. – He answers. There is silence for some minutes. – Imagine that I'm the audience. Delight me.

He starts making questions and I try to answer them as cheery as I can. He goes for the 50 question when he stops.

-Enough. I have asked you almost 50 questions and the only thing I know about you is you name. They want to know you.

-I told you that I didn't want them to know me! – I say exasperated. If I let them know me, if I share my secrets and thoughts with them, they will be able to threaten me, to hurt me, to make me fall apart. Every single detail of my life is an opportunity for them to hurt me or my family. – I won't share my life with them.

-Then try to do it like in your first interview. You weren't very communicative, but at least you seemed friendly.

-You are getting on my nerves, Haymitch. Last time, I had a script and a death threat. – I yell.

-Then make a script for yourself. The death threat is already done; it is called the Hunger Games. – He shouts. – You won't have sponsors if you look hostile and sullen.

-Works for me. I can win the Hunger Games on my own. – I snap.

-No you can't. – He snaps back.

-Yes I can.

-You won't make three days without sponsors. We have to find another angel.

The next hours are full of agony. I try being cocky, witty, funny and mysterious, but nothing works.

-You are good at acting. – Haymitch sighs. – But everything that comes out of your mouth is pretended to be a slap in the face for the Capitol, even if you are trying to be kind. And when you are not trying, you have as charming as a dead slug.

-Do you think I care about what you think of me? You are not going to sponsor me.

-In that case, I give up. I care even less than you. But I promised to give you advice, so just don't let the crowd notice how much you despise them.

-Good for me. – I say angrily, and I walk out of the room.

Instead of having dinner with the others, I just go to my room and eat myself sick. I let out all of my anger by smashing dishes around my room, shouting insults in every language I know, and punching the wall. At some moment, the avox girl, Lavinia, appears and her eyes widen at the mess I did.

-Leave it alone! – I scream. – And go away!

Instead of obeying, she closes the door behind her and goes to the bathroom. She returns to my room with a damp cloth and cleans my face. Then she cleans the blood of a broken plate off my hands.

Maybe she doesn't hate me or maybe this is her job.7-I should have tried to save you.

She shocks her head, then taps her lips with her index finger and then points to my chest.

-Maybe you are right. I would have ended just like you. – I whisper sadly. –Or dead. That would have been easier.

She shocks her head, terrified at my affirmation and she starts cleaning the mess. After the room is cleaned, she turns down my bed and I crawl in and let her to tuck me in.

-Sorry. – I whisper before she lefts.

During my sleep, I remember the first time I saw her, and I wake up screaming when my brain plays the memory in which the boy died.

I look at the clock, 2:45A.M.; I try to sleep again, and I do. This time I don't have nightmares, not even dreams at all.

**Hope you have enjoyed! Thanks for reading!**

**Please read and review!**

**Taylor.**


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Interview.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

A soft knock wakes me up. I lift my head and look at the window; the sky is cloudy and gray, it looks like it's going to rain. I hear nervous giggles and high-pitched voices coming from the hall. – Come in! – I scream at the door, and in seconds my prep team rushes through the door.

-Oh, how wonderful! – Octavia squeaks. – The interviews are today.

-We are going to make you look gorgeous! – Venia gushes.

-And dress is marvelous. I'm sure it is the interview dress I have ever seen. – Flavious cries happily. And they keep babbling about everything that happens, how excited they are, the last gossip in the city and some other stuff.

They work on me until the afternoon; they shape my nails into perfect ovals and then make my skin soft and bright as satin.

Flavious starts braiding strands of my hair with some silver ribbons; he makes four or six braids of with silver strands, he ties them at the top of my head and makes my hair to fall loose in curls.

Octavia paints some silver patterns in my arms, making them look like steam swirls and Venia paints my nails with traces of gray, white, silver, lilac and a pale shade of blue.

After all of that is done, Cinna enters carrying a long black bag, where I assume it's my dress.

-Close your eyes. –He orders. – And don't open them until I tell you.

I feel the silky fabric from the dress; it's a little heavier than a normal dress. Octavia helps me to put on my high heels, I can't see them but I'm sure that they have many strips.

There is some fitting and then an absolute silence mixed with some enthusiastic giggles.

-Open your eyes.

I open them. I'm in front of the full-length mirror; I look at my face, my features have been erased with a pale make up and have been reinvented. My eyes look bigger than usual, my lips are painted in a soft shade of lilac, my cheeks look pink, and the colors of my makeup make my skin look even paler than usual.

My arms have these silver patterns that make them look like steam, I wonder why they painted them this way. Maybe because steam and smoke come with fire, or maybe they just wanted a different angle.

-Why do you… - I start asking when I realize that my dress, my makeup and my arms resemble the way the sky looks when there is an explosion in the air. Like the ones of an airplane.

My eyes full with tears as I analyze the pattern of the dress. The bottom fabric mixes a grayish blue with lilac and white. The white spots in the fabric resemble clouds and the lilac and grey resemble smoke, steam. There is a flame pattern, it is made in jewels; it has diamonds, rubies, amber stones and some sapphires. The blouse of the dress is decorated with some black diamonds.

The dress is a clear picture of the sky during an explosion. The explosion that brought me here. That brought me to the Capitol. This isn't Cinna's idea, this comes from President Snow. He is already trying to make me fall apart.

-Do you like it? – Cinna asks cautiously.

-It is wonderful. It mixes the sky and fire. – I respond darkly. – Was it your idea?

-Yes. – He responds avoiding my eyes. – I think it's time for lunch.

-Wonderful! My stomach is growling.

We sit at the table and wait for the food to arrive.

-Do you know what are you doing for the interview? – He asks concerned. By his expression I can tell that he has been talking to Haymitch.

-Yeah, if for knowing you mean that I'm going to sit there and try not to look like a fool. – I smile sardonically.

-So, you are not ready?

-I think I can get some sponsors, but I don't really know what I'm going to do. Suppose I'm just going to answer what ever gets into my mind first.

-Why if you try being yourself? – He suggests.

-I'll try to do it, but I'm afraid that insults against everything come out of my mouth. Haymitch passed his time telling me that I'm hostile, sullen and bad-tempered.

-Well, you are, when you are with him. Just be yourself and picture that you are talking to a friend.

-I'll try. Can I use you as my friend?

-Yes, if you consider me that. – There is an awkward silence after this. – I think is time to go. Remember heads high, chins up and smile. They already love you.

We meet the other at the elevator. Portia and Peeta have just arrived along with Haymitch and Effie. Peeta's suit has some little flames in it and his shirt is lilac, but they don't seem to resemble what my dress does.

-You are still a happy pair. – Haymitch growls when we are down of the elevator and the cameras are looking at us. – So act like that.

-Fine. – Peeta replies.

-Don't bother me. – I mutter. He just looks at me with steel-like eyes. – Fine, I'll do it.

All tributes are waiting at the other side of the stage. The stage is located in the City Circle, in front of the Training Center. Caesar Flickerman makes his great appearance and starts talking about every tribute. He calls the District 1 female, Glimmer, to the stage. She is wearing a short, see-through dress that matches her light blond hair and her green eyes.

She is arrogant, but that must be her deadliest skill. She is arrogant and selfish; she wants to show that she is more than a beautiful face. She will do everything she can to win.

Marvel comes next, wearing a blue, old-fashioned suit that makes him look like a middle-aged man, but at least matches his dark blue eyes. He is arrogant, like Glimmer, but he is not that deadly. He thinks he is better than the others and that makes him vulnerable. He will try to do as little as he can.

Clove, from District 2, comes to the stage wearing a knee-length orange and red dress. The dress looks like a flower upside down. From what I have seen and heard, I think Clove is a little maniac, not completely insane, but obsessed with winning.

Cato is not very different from Clove; he has an obsession for winning and he can be a little maniac but he is more authoritarian and has a worst temper. He is one of the deadliest tributes this year.

Rosen, from District 3, is wearing a simple gray dress. She is shy, quiet and good-hearted. I bet that she won't be able to kill someone. Marvin, from 3 is the same ad her, but he wants to live. He will kill and regret, unless he is killed first.

District 4 female, Janine, comes wearing a long white dress. She is different from other careers, she is not bloodthirsty, she will kill but not because she wants too. Rosham is the younger career, he won't be counted as one, and he would probably die in the bloodbath.

Finch, or Foxface, looks great in her turquoise dress. She is sly, elusive and one of the smartest tributes. The boy from her district is a fool, he is arrogant but that will kill him.

Both from 6 are scared, they won't do much in the Games. The tributes from 7 are scared too, but they are a little more determined to win. 8, 9 and 10 won't be such a problem to be eliminated.

Rue, is small, skinny and sly. She has suffered during most of her life making her stronger. Thresh, is quiet, careful on what he says, strong and smart. He got a chance of winning.

I'm called to the stage. Everyone is waiting to see my dress and what I have to say.

-Carolyne Everdeen, a jewel from District 12. I should admit that you look like an angel this night. Most people already know you, but we all want to know how time has changed you?

Wonderful, Haymitch was right. – Well, life is difficult but nothing I can't deal with.

-Can I ask, what make you volunteer?

-My little sister went reaped, she is just 12 and I love her as much as my life, my other sister, Katniss was about to volunteer, but I just couldn't stay there and see how she risked her life. So I decided to volunteer. – I say slowly. I am being extremely honest. That can't be good.

-And do you think you can win these Games?

-I can't know. – Caesar looks at me with sad eyes. – But I'll never give up.

-Sure you won't. Let's talk about the opening ceremonies, what did you think of your costume?

-You mean, after I got over my fear of become grilled meat? – I laugh and the audience laughs with me.

-Yes, after that. – He says laughing.

-Well, I thought that Cinna was a genius he made the best costume I have ever seen. – I say honestly. – And the dress I'm wearing this night is wonderful too. – I look at him; he is twirling his hand, indicating me to twirl for him. – I mean, look at it. – I stand up and start twirling around. The light produces the illusion that tongues of fire are all around me, that they cover the soft lilac from the fabric and they mix with my blonde red hair, making me look like I'm burning.

The reaction is what I expected, everyone is surprised. – Do it again! – Caesar gushes.

-I can't. If I do I will end up like Haymitch during the Reaping. – Everyone laughs at my comment. I look at Haymitch; he is with an angry look in his face.

-Well, at least he helped you to get the top training score! Can you tell us what happened in there?

-Sorry but I can't. Don't worry, you will see it soon enough.

-You're time has run out, Carolyne. Best of luck.

-Thanks. – I walk down the steps and see Peeta moving toward the stage. He passes by my side avoiding my eyes and looking ashamed.

-Peeta Mellark, District 12. What's the most amazing thing you have seen in the Capitol? – Caesar asks.

-Well, showers are an exceptional thing. Can you do me a favor?

-Yes. – Caesar has a funny look in his face.

-Tell me if I still smell of roses. – He asks and puts his arm in front of Caesar's face.

They smell each other several times, and tell some jokes. At some point the atmosphere goes more serious.

-Tell me, Peeta. Is there a special girl in your life?

-No, I don't have a girlfriend.

-C'mon, a handsome lad like you, there must be someone special for you. What's her name?

-Well, there is this girl, I've had a crush on her since the first time I saw her. But she didn't know who I was until I was reaped.

-She has another fellow? – Caesar asks concerned. Everyone understands what unrequited love is.

-I don't know, but lots of boys like her.

-Here's what you have to do. You win, you go home. She can't turn you down, eh? – He says encouragingly.

-Well, there's a problem with that. – He says hesitantly. Everyone looks at him wondering what the problem is. – She came here, with me.

I freeze. I recall his words in my brain "She came here with me". Who else came here with him? Effie? I don't think so. He must be referring to me.

I will murder him. I will stab him in the heart. Slit his throat open. Possibilities are infinite.

-Well, it's hard not to fall for that young lady. She didn't know?

-Not until now. It's bad luck.

-Yes it is. Our time has finished. – Peeta walks down the steps. Caesar turns to the audience. – Good luck to everyone.

We enter the elevator and return to our floor.

**This is my longest chapter ever!**

**Hope you like it! Let me know what you think in a Review!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Taylor.**


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Last Night.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

-You FOOL! You IDIOT! – I scream when I go out of the elevator. – You made me look stupid on National TV! Why did you do that? – He tries to go away but I kick him in the jaw and make him step back to the wall. I don't remove my foot; instead I use it to stop him from moving. – Tell me! NOW! – My foot slides slowly, until I'm crushing his throat.

-I…just…I…Car- he starts babbling. I cut his air supply, when the elevator doors open and the whole District 12's crew come in.

-What the hell are you doing? – Haymitch screams at me. Everybody is horrified, except for Cinna. Traitor.

-Manners, Carolyne! Let him go! – Effie screams with at the edge of hysteria.

-Shut up! – I scream without letting him go. Everyone must think that I have lost my mind. –It is his fault! – When Peeta's face turns purple, Cinna comes and separates me from him. I struggle but I can't take him away from me without hurting him. So, I just keep shouting.

-What was that for? – Peeta asks terrified. He is covering his chin with a hand and protecting his neck with the other. His nose is bleeding heavily.

-You had no right? You shouldn't have said those things about me! – I scream. Cinna holds my arms to stop me from attacking Peeta again. I won't get anything if I start struggling again with Cinna. – And least this wasn't your idea! – I say turning to Haymitch. – If it was I would have end up worse!

-This was my idea. – Peeta says. Red and purple marks are appearing in his neck. – Haymitch just helped me with it.

-You are a fool. Do you think he hurt you? – Haymitch says in disgust.

-No. Maybe he did help me. – I say. – The problem is that I didn't want his help. He made me look weak.

-He made you look desirable. And let's face it you need all the help you can get in that department.

-Look who's talking! – I laugh sarcastically.

-I'm not the one who is going into the Hunger Games! My life is not in danger! He gave you something you will never achieve on your own.

-Yes, I know. I was as romantic as dirt until he said he loved me. And now everybody talks about the star-crossed lovers of District 12. – I say faking a happy voice. – Well, the only problem is that we are not star-crossed lovers! – I yell.

-It is just a big show… - Haymitch starts but Peeta cuts him off.

-She is just worried about her boyfriend. – He hisses nastily.

-I. Don't. Have. A. Damned. Boyfriend! – I shout.

-Whatever. But I bet that he is smart enough to see a bluff when he sees it. Besides, you didn't say that you loved me. – He replies.

-He is right, Carolyne. – Cinna says softly.

-Yes. He's right. – I growl.

-Then why are you angry? – Portia asks me patiently.

-I'm angry because they didn't tell me! – I point at Peeta and Haymitch. – And Cinna knew about this. And he didn't say anything!

-Why do you think I knew about this? – Cinna asks nervous.

-First, you were sure that I would do great at the interviews. Second, when we talked you had a guilty look in your eyes. Third, you seemed to be expecting my reaction. – I say; as I talk, everybody goes silent. – And I'm sure that you told Portia. – They both look to the ground. – Everyone in here knew about it. Except me!

-I didn't … - Effie starts saying before I cut her off.

-Yes, you did. – There is an apologizing look in her face. – Haymitch told you in an attempt to shut your damn mouth.

-Watch your language, Carolyne. You are being rude. – Her voice is full of indignation. – You ought Peeta an apology and you must thank him too.

-Fine. – I growl and walk in front of Peeta. – Sorry. Thanks. I don't need and I don't want your help. – I say rolling my eyes and walking away to my room.

In my room, I take a shower, wash my face and put on simple clothes. Then, I walk to have dinner with the others.

Nobody talks during dinner. When we are about to take dessert, Peeta's nose starts bleeding again and Portia takes him to receive medical treatment. After we finish dinner, we return to our respective rooms.

Tomorrow, we have to enter the Arena, we won't have time to say goodbye to the others. So, we start without our goodbyes.

-Any final advice?- Peeta asks Haymitch.

-When the gong sounds, get the hell out of there, neither of you is up for the bloodbath. Just run and put as much distance between you and the others. Find a source of water. A shelter would be useful too, and don't forget about food. Got it?

-Water. Shelter. Food. In that order? – I ask.

-Yes.

-And then? – Peeta asks.

-Stay alive.

We go with Effie; she hugs us and gives us a kiss in the cheek.

-Sorry, for being rude. – I apologize. – I know it wasn't your fault. I overreacted.

-Don't worry. I know you are under much pressure and you are stressed. I forgive you. – She says and gives me another hug.

-We don't have to say goodbye to the stylists now. We will see them in the morning. I rush to my room before having to talk to Peeta.

I put on a nightgown and crawl into bed. One hour passes, how is going to be the Arena? A forest would be my best option. In a desert I will be an easy prey. A swamp wouldn't be easy. Ice and snow covering everything, a nightmare. Two hours, should I get into the Cornucopia or should I listen to Haymitch? I'm not sure. Three hours pass, I feel like I'm in a prison. I need air or I will start screaming and throwing things again.

I walk to the roof; it isn't it during the night, but when my bare feet hit the tiled surface, I see his silhouette, black against the lights that shine endlessly. Should I leave him alone?

-You should be getting some sleep. – I say. He shakes his head without turning to face me.

-The party is for us, I didn't want to miss it. Couldn't sleep, either?

-Couldn't turn my mind off. – I sigh.

-Do you think of your family?

-No. I can't stop wondering about what we will have to face in the next few hours. However, it is pointless. I'm really sorry about what I did. – I say looking at the red and purple marks in his neck and face.

-It doesn't matter. I have never had a chance in these Games.

-That isn't a way of thinking.

-Why not? I'm saying the truth. My best hope is not to disgrace myself and… - He stops, and looks at me in the eye. – I want to die being myself. I don't want them to turn me into a monster. Does it make sense?

-You can't die as anyone but yourself. – I say stupidly. We go silent; he has a confused look in the eyes.

-You don't understand me. Right?

-At first, I didn't. But I think I may know what you are talking about. You want to preserve your identity.

-I don't want to stop being who I am.

-And how are you going to do it? Won't you kill anyone?

-No. I can't go down without a fight. I'll kill like everybody else. I just want to stop being a piece in their Games.

-You can't. That is how things work. We are a tool for the Capitol; they need us to control the Districts.

-Yes. But leave that apart; there's still me, there's still you. There is a part of us that they will never own. Don't you see?

-A little… But – I start laughing like an idiot.

-Why do you think is funny? – He asks concerned about my mental health.

-I don't think it is funny. – I say a little more serious.

-Then why are you laughing?

-Because I feel inferior. – He looks even more confused than before. – While I was ruminating about the Arena, you were trying to find away to preserve your identity.

-Is there something bad in it?

-No… Just…Who cares?

-I do. What else am I allowed to care about right now?

-You should care about what Haymitch said: Stay alive.

-Yes, but is senseless to stay alive by killing others. You'll end up burning in the inside.

-Maybe, but I can't think that way. I made a promise.

-Can you make a promise to me?

-Yes. – I say hesitantly. – What do you need?

-When you return home, please give my mother my bests. Promise?

-If I ever make it to District 12, you can count on it.

-Thanks. Any other advice?

-Don't trust in others. You may regret killing, but there are others that would kill you without blinking.

-Do you consider yourself one of them?

-I don't know.

I leave the floor. I return to my room and crawl into bed again. I close my eyes and dive into my own mind, trying to figure out what are my feelings about Peeta Mellark.

**I'm sorry about the long time to update, but I had final exams. I'll try to update as soon as I can.**

**I got a question for you: Do you want the Arena to be like the one in the books or you want me to make something different? Please send me your answer in a review. **

**Taylor.**


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Calm before the storm.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**Sorry, for the long time to update but I promise to update soon.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

A soft knock takes me away from my nightmares. I look at the clock, 5:30 AM.

-Come in! – I say as I start dressing. Cinna enters the room with a sad look in his face.

-Are you ready? – He asks me.

-Yes. Do I have any option?

-Sorry, but you don't. – He sighs.

We walk in silence to the roof. There is a hovercraft waiting for us; a ladder comes down from the hovercraft.

-You go first. – Cinna orders.

The sight of the hovercraft makes me shiver. I don't want to get into it but I have no option. I start climbing the ladder and a strong current attaches me to it and I'm lifted to the inside of the hovercraft.

-I'm going to place a tracker in your arm. – A woman dressed in white tells me. – The stiller you are, the less pain you feel.

-Stiller? Do you think I'm dancing? I'm moving as much as a statue. – I mutter under my breath. If the woman heard me, she decided to ignore me.

She takes a syringe and places the metallic device in my forearm. When the woman checks that the tracker is working, the current stops and the ladder releases me. Then, Cinna climbs into the hovercraft and we start moving.

I take a seat away from the window. I know it's stupid, but after falling from a plane the thought of falling from a hovercraft scares me. At least, I'm sure that no one would let me fall to my death. Not right now, because it would be a great problem to replace me.

After an hour and a half, the hovercraft lands and we are released into the underground tunnel that goes to the Launch Room. I'll be the first and last tribute to use this Launch Room.

-What are we doing now? – I ask.

-You should take a shower. Then we can get you dressed and if you want you can eat something. – Cinna answers.

I take a shower and brush my teeth. Cinna hands me the outfit I will use during the Games. It is a simple black shirt, dark green cargo pants, a leather belt with multiple compartments in it, a black jacket, and leather boots.

-What do you think? – I ask. The outfit can give me a clue about the Arena, but sometimes the Gamemakers are cruel enough to make the outfit the opposite from the environment.

-The jacket is made of a material that reflects corporal heat.

-So, I should expect some cold nights. – Stupid Gamemakers, I hate cold nights.

-Yes and probably a forest or a prairie. This boots are ideal for running. – He says. A prairie would make me an easy target and a forest would give me an advantage. – Walk around the room. – Cinna commands me. – Are you comfortable?

-Are you talking about the outfit or about the situation?

-Both, if you want.

-The clothes are great but the situation is crap.

-Nice way of saying it. – He points at a table full of food. – Want to eat something?

I nod. I don't feel like eating but I'm going into the Hunger Games; the best thing I can do is to get some extra energy. I eat what I can, before feeling uncomfortable.

-What time is it? – I ask. The Games start at 10 o'clock in the morning.

-10 minutes until Launch. – Cinna answers without meeting my eyes.

-10 minutes until the slaughter. – I correct him gloomily. – Do you like the Hunger Games?

-Most of the people in the Capitol like them, - there is a short pause. He clears his mind and then resumes talking. – But I'm not like most of the people. I consider them the slaughter of innocent children.

-Finally, someone with brains. – I say.

-The tributes must get into the Launching Tubes. – A mechanical voice says. – 15 seconds until Launch. 14…

-It's time to go. – He says. I make my way to the tube and I'm about to get inside when he stops me. – Wait! I got something for you. – He shows me the mockingjay pin.

-Where did you get it? – It's a good thing that he found it, I had already forgotten about it.

-From the blue dress you wore in the train? – He fixes the pin in my shirt.

-Can I ask you a favor? – I say.

-Sure. – He responds.

-Please take care of that dress. If I don't return, please send it to my mother back in District 12.

-Fine.

6,5,4. The voice keeps counting.

-Goodbye Cinna.

-Follow Haymitch's advice. Trust in yourself and take care.

2,1. I get into the tube in the right moment. Cinna says something I can't hear and I'm launched into the Arena.

Claudius Templesmith's voice booms all over the Arena. - Ladies and Gentleman; let the 74th Hunger Games begin!

**I know this is super short and that nothing really happened but I promise that I will update on Tuesday or Wednesday. **

**Thanks for the reviews. Any mistake, question or suggestion, just tell me in a review.**

**Taylor.**


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Cornucopia bloodbath.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

60 seconds. A lake, a forest, a cliff and the Cornucopia.

59,58. There is a silver bow and a quiver with arrows near the entrance.

57,56,55. I can reach the Cornucopia easily, the problem will be to get out of there.

54, 53. I must get food and other supplies. If I can't reach the bow, I must get any other weapon.

52, 51,50. I look at the tributes near me.

49,48,47,46. Rosen is by my left side. Gwin is beside her and Quirrel is beside him.

45,44,43,42. Rosham is by my right side. Thresh is beside him and Krane besides Thresh.

41,40. I can see Peeta, standing between Leven and Quirrel.

39,38. If I made it out of the bloodbath, I have to run into the woods.

37,36,35. The lake is in open space. I'll be an extremely easy target in there.

34,33,32,31,30. The cliff is a loss of time. I don't know what is in there. I don't really know if it is a real cliff.

29,28. I can't get out of the Cornucopia without some supplies.

27,26,25. If I don't get the bow, someone would get it first.

24,23,22. I look back at Peeta.

21,20,19. He looks at me.

18,17. I shift my position until I'm facing the Cornucopia.

16,15,14. He points the Cornucopia and shakes his head.

13,12. I'm not going to follow any advice.

11,10. If I reach an axe, sword or a knife I can take down some tributes.

9,8,7. But if the Careers get there first I would have lost my only chance.

6,5,4. Maybe I can track them down after the bloodbath and get the bow.

3,2,1. The gong sounds. My time has run out.

I sprint to the Cornucopia. When I get to the bow, a knife passes near my ear. I turn around and see that Clove is ready to throw another knife. The boy from 9 is behind me; I rise to my feet and take him by his jacket. Clove throws two knifes, one hits the boy in the head and the other in the heart. He dies instantly; his blood staining my face and clothes.

I take the knifes out of his body and toss the corpse to the side. I throw one knife to Clove, but she ducks just in time and the knife hits the girl from 3 in the neck.

The bow has been taken; It's not worthy to stay here anymore; I put the other knife in my left pocket and take a backpack and a little leather bag. I run avoiding Clove's knifes and some other weapons. When I reach the entrance, Cato swings his sword and manages to make a deep cut in my left arm.

-I'll take your head off, idiot. – He shouts.

-Not before I take your eyes out. – I hiss at him.

He gets distracted by beheading the boy from 4. I try to get into the woods, but Clove has followed me and launches herself against me.

-You owe me this one. – Clove yells.

-I owe you nothing, lunatic.

She uses her knees to restrain me from moving and she is using one hand to cut my air supply. She makes a cut in my right cheek; we hit each other several times until I knock her out. She will wake up in some seconds but I'll be in the woods when that happens– You will pay. – she screams when she wakes up.

I make it to the forest before the initial fight ends. I keep running until I crash with someone and trip over her.

-Fox…face…I mean…Finch. – I babble when I recognize her.

-Car…Carolyne. – She whispers nervously. She looks at the knife in my hand. She knows that she will never be able to kill me and that I can kill her in some minutes. – I won't follow you if you let me go.

We stare at each other for several seconds. It makes no sense to spare her life but for some reason I end up saying:

-I won't kill you right now. But if I ever find you again, I won't spare your life. Deal?

-Deal. – She mumbles as she disappears in the woods.

-Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. – I say to myself as I walk. –You could have killed her, but no, you had to spare her life. Idiot. Idiot. – The sound of a cannon makes me stop.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11. Eleven tributes died in the bloodbath. Thirteen tributes to go.

I keep walking for some hours. I'm worried because the sun is about to set and I haven't found the slightest hint of water. Bad luck would be if the lake is the only source of water. The careers must have their base there.

-I should take a look at my wounds. And check what is on the backpack. – I say to myself. Great, I will go insane in these Games.

I walk around and search for a good tree to climb. After a while I found a tall one, with many branches and leaves that may hide me from the others. I climb and settle in a kind of hole between two branches.

I analyze the cut in my arm. It is deep, but it didn't reach the bone and it's not bleeding. I don't have water so I can't do anything about the blood in my face. I just cut a piece of my shirt and wrap it around the cut in my arm, to prevent it from bleeding. Then I proceed to heck the backpack's content.

-Crackers. Dried beef strips. Iodine. A water bottle without water. – I mutter. – Wire. A rope. Wooden matches. A sleeping bag. Sunglasses? They must be useful. Now, let's see what is in this little bag? – I reach for the leather bag I took from the Cornucopia. – Shurikens? – I ask as I take some flat, star-shaped metal pieces with razor-like edges. – What the hell are doing these things in the Hunger Games? They were only used in Japan. Fine, they will give some fun to these Games. I should put some snares.

I set to twitch-up snares and return to my tree. I won't waste my crackers and dried meat tonight.

The sun goes down and the anthem starts to play; a screen in the sky starts showing the faces of the dead tributes. Rosen, from 3. Rosham, from 4. Blake, from 5. Gwin and Jehan, from 6. Leven and Krane, from 7. Quirrel from 8. Isbel and Rone, from 9. And Demelie, from has not died in the bloodbath; I don't know if I'm relieved or worried about it.

The anthem stops playing and the screen goes off. I get inside my sleeping bag and close my eyes. After a while, I realize that it won't be easy to sleep here.

**Please read and review. Any suggestions, questions or mistakes, just tell me in a review!**

**I won't update until Friday or Monday.**

**Taylor.**


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32: The Career Pack.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**Sorry, for the long time to update. **

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

-Fine! – I sigh. – I'm not sleeping tonight. – I whisper after two or three hours of trying to sleep.

I look at the sky; the stars shine as bright as they do in District 12. I wonder how Mom, Prim and Katniss are doing. Well, it makes no sense to worry about them, better to worry about returning with them.

I have to make plans for tomorrow. I won't start hunting tributes until I find a source of water. When I found a source of water, I must return to the Cornucopia to see where the careers are camping, and then I should take my bow.

-What was that? - I whisper for myself. I slowly turn my head to the right. There's a person near me, but I don't know where he or she is. I roll over my side to see if there is someone or if my mind is playing me tricks.

-What the h…? – I don't even finish my question. Someone has started a fire. – Cato is here or what? I expected him to be the only idiot in the Games. – I say louder than I should. How can someone be so stupid? A fire during the bloodbath wouldn't have been noticed, but now that the sun has gone down, the fight has ended and the careers are ready to hunt, a fire is like screaming "Come and get me" with neon lights above your head.

-Sorry. – I whisper to no one. – I have to kill you. – I wait for several minutes to see if the tribute noticed my presence, and then I jump of the tree. I walk slowly, without making noises. I walk hiding behind trees and plants, using the darkness as a shield. I stop behind a tree and see that Margot, the girl from 8, has started a fire. She is leaning against the tree where I'm hiding; I can easily bring a knife through her heart. I pull the knife from my pocket and I'm about to kill her when I hear laughter and voices. The careers have arrived, we both know it.

I hide again, and I slowly climb the tree. If they find me, they will kill me without mercy.

-Don't…Ki…I…Please…N… - Those are Margot's last words. Cato has pierced the girl with his sword and now he is grinning like the idiot he is.

-I'll check for supplies. – Marvel says. Glimmer and Clove just stand there, talking between them. There are other two tributes; one is Janine, from 4, and the other I'm not able to tell. – She's got nothing. Not even a knife or food.

-Let's get going, - Cato orders. – So the corpse can be removed. – The six careers walk away; they start talking about who they want to kill next.

I climb down the tree, and get near the dead girl. To my surprise, she has not died, she is still breathing.

The careers stop at few meters from the tree where I was trying to sleep. I'm not the only one who has noticed that the girl is alive.

-Are you sure she's dead? – Clove asks.

-Yes. She has to be. – Cato answers.

-Then, where is the cannon? – Janine asks.

-May be we missed it. – Glimmer says.

-Or maybe she is not dead. – Marvel suggests.

-I killed her myself. She has to be dead. – Cato yells. Wow, he is an obsessed maniac.

-Then, where's the cannon? – Clove snaps.

-Stop wasting time. I'll finish her off and we move on. – My heart stops for a second; the voice belongs to Peeta. No, no, no, this cannot be. How on Earth he managed to join the careers?

-What are you doing here? – He asks in a whisper.

Damn, I forgot to climb the tree again. I'm leaning against the tree and he is staring at me. What can I do now? He is in front of me, carrying a spear in his hand. He wasn't the best at throwing spears, but sure that he knows how to kill me with one.

-I don't know. Maybe looking how they torture an innocent child. – I mutter.

-Torture? What are you talking about?

-You left her dying. You didn't have the mercy to kill her quickly. Now, I must finish her suffering.

-This is horrible. How can you say that? How can you kill anyone? You are acting like a monster. – He mumbles and throws the spear.

I catch the spear before it hits the ground. – Sadly, I am a monster for not killing her earlier. – I sigh as he looks at me with horrified eyes. – Don't be stupid. She is suffering, better to finish with her now, than to let her bleed to death. – I return him the spear; I get closer to her and pull my knife out. I'm about to open her throat when I hear the cannon. She's dead. – You better return with your pack, traitor. – I say in a voice full of venom. – And don't you dare to tell them where I am. Or you will wake up with a knife close to your neck. – I whisper in his ear as his eyes widen in terror. He walks away, and I follow him to listen to his talk with the careers.

-Was she dead? – Cato demands.

-She died seconds after I had arrived. – Peeta says.

-Fine. Let's move on! – Clove hurries.

-Wait. Any clue of where she is? – Cato asks. I'm sure that the "she" is referring to me. I want to hear what Peeta says.

-No. She was nowhere to be seen. – Peeta answers. Well, at least he is not such a traitor.

-Where can a simpleminded idiot like her hide? – He yells. – When I found her, I will break her neck or I'll cut her in small pieces. – He says with his face red in anger.

-Calm down, Cato. – Glimmer whispers. – We will find her.

-Let's move on. Before the corpse starts stinking. – Clove hurries again, this time Cato accepts and the careers take off to the lake.

I rush to my tree and prepare my stuff. I'll follow the careers, that way they will never find me, because they'll never expect me to be following them. And I can get to know what they plan and what they know about me.

As the sun rises, the corpse is removed by a hovercraft and I start to run. I have to get to the lake before the careers do; I have to see where they are camping to find a good place to hide.

The careers are camping in the side of the lake that is nearer to the Cornucopia. I choose a tall tree, full of leaves, that is in the same side of the lake. I hide my stuff and myself. The careers arrive some minutes after me and they make a fire to prepare breakfast. I see them eating real warm food while I just eat some pine bark and enjoy of the view.

In the forest at my right side, there is a cave hidden between some tall trees and bushes, there is a small stream that goes down into a valley. In the prairie at my left, there are some boxes, bags and sacks of supplies and weapons. Over the pile of boxes, is my silver bow, some axes, swords and spears.

If I could only get my bow, I would kill everyone in here. I would return home. And I would drown in self-pity.

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! I love to read what you think. **

**Any question, mistake or suggestion, just tell me in a review and I'll try to answer it.**

**Hopefully, I'll update tomorrow!**

**Taylor.**


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Allies for a day.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

It's midday when the careers return to their tributes hunt. As soon as they leave, I get off the tree and run to the lake. I fill my bottle with water and add some iodine to purify it. The instructions in the bottle say that I have to wait for thirty minutes before drinking the water, so I take off most of my clothes and hide them between some bushes and then I jump into the lake. I swim for some minutes, wash my hair and body and then get out of the lake. I was using my underwear while I was swimming, so I just have to put on the rest of my clothes.

I start checking my wounds; the one in the cheek is not so deep, I just have to clean it constantly until it heals itself; the wound in my arm is deeper and it will get an infection if I'm not careful enough. I cut a piece of the lower part of my shirt and wrap it around the wound, wishing for the best.

Now, that I have finished cleaning myself, I move to the pile of supplies. I start checking for some food before getting my bow. I've got some apples and bread, when I feel someone moving behind some boxes of supplies; it can't be any of the careers, they are hunting and they can't have returned yet. It's pretty impossible to be any of the other tributes…except…

-Foxface. – I say as a knife appears next to my neck and a hand crashes my back into some boxes.

-Finch. – She says annoyed. – My name is Finch Tedier. Why do you insist on calling me Foxface?

-There are three reasons for that. One, because it's true. Admit it; you look similar to a fox. – I hear her growling at my back. – Two, because it's kind of funny to see you getting annoyed at that. – She shifts her position; I turn my neck a little and see that she is lying over some boxes. – And three, because I want.

-You realize that I can open your throat if I want, right? – She threatens me and presses the knife harder against my neck.

I grin at the sky. – You won't. – I say with confidence.

-How can you be so sure? – She asks trying to sound determinate to kill me.

-Because, if you really wanted to kill me, you would have done it when you could. – I say as I kick a box near me. The box crashes, and the boxes over it collapse to the ground. Foxface lies knocked out in the ground.

I hear some footsteps and look around. I see no one, but I won't take any chances. I take Foxface in my arms and walk into the woods. There I hide us behind some tall bushes and wait for Foxface to wake up.

-Did you just have to do that? – She hisses at me when she gets conscious again.

-You had a knife against my neck. What else could I do? – I reply.

-I don't know. Maybe you could have taken the knife from my hand or attacked me with your knife. – She suggests sarcastically.

-Well, it could have been worse, considering that part of our deal was that I would kill you if I ever saw you again. - I say evilly, enjoying the panicked look in her eyes.

-We can be allies. – She suggests hopefully.

-How can I be sure that you won't stab me in the back?

-I won't, because you spared my life once.

-Fine we can be allies, but we have to separate when it comes to the last eight. Deal?

-Deal.

-Do you have something to eat, Foxface? – I ask, adding the "Foxface" just to annoy her.

-When are you going to stop calling me that? – she says clearly annoyed.

-When you earn my respect. – I say grinning.

-And, when will that happen?

-I don't know, that's up to you.

-As you wish. – She sighs. – Do you want something to eat?

-Sure. I'm starving. What do you have to eat?

-Right know? Anything. All my supplies are in a cave in the other side of the lake. – She says.

We see the smoke of a fire, and we look at the career camp; the careers have arrived and they are preparing their lunch.

-We can't return to your cave, but I have some food here. – I say, as I reach for my backpack and start taking the apples, bread, crackers and dried beef out.

We finish eating; the careers return to their hunt.

-I think we must find a shelter to pass the night. – I say.

-What do you think about the cave? – She suggests.

-It sounds good to me. – I say, as we start walking to the other side.

We arrive to the cave and sit there, waiting for the sound of a cannon. The sound goes down and no one has died today.

-What do you think would happen? – I ask.

-What?

-What do you think that the Gamemakers would do?

-When?

-Tomorrow or tonight.

-I don't know. I think that the most important question here is what we are going to do if something happens tomorrow.

-Nothing is going to happen tomorrow. It's going to happen tonight. And I've got a plan. – I say, showing some nightlock berries in my hand.

**Any suggestion, mistake or question, just tell me in a review.**

**Thanks for reading. I'll try to update tomorrow.**


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Poisoning purple.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

Some minutes after the sunset, the careers fall asleep; when their fire is dying, I take my backpack and step out of the cave with Foxface following me.

-Where are we going? – She demands. –What are you planning to do? Please, tell me.

-Be quiet. – I hiss. – Just follow me and don't make any noises.

I make my way into the woods and I walk until I find what I need: a bush of nightlock berries.

We start plucking some berries from the bush, - No. – I whisper when I see that Foxface is about to put a nightlock in her mouth. I take her hand to prevent her from eating the berry. – Don't eat them.

-Why not? – She looks at me confused.

-They are nightlock. They are poisonous.

-Then, why are we taking them?

I look around to see if someone is near us. – To poison the careers. – I whisper in her ear.

-How are you going to do it?

-I'll take the juice out of the berries and then mix it with their water.

-Are you going to poison the lake?

-No. It's has way too much water; I'll pour the juice in their water bottles.

-When are we going to do it?

-As soon as the juice is ready and they are distracted.

We go silent for some minutes; -Can I help you in something? – She asks when we finish plucking the berries.

-Yes. – I answer after thinking for a moment. – Try to find more poisonous plants.

Minutes later, we have a bunch of other plants. Most of them won't be useful when mixed with water, and we can't pour to much of the poison in the water bottles because they would notice it. So, not all careers will die, just the weak ones.

-Do you have a bowl or something to mix the plants? – I ask.

-I'll get one. Wait here. – She whispers and rushes to the pile of supplies. When she returns, she's carrying a plastic bowl and two glass jars.

-What do you prefer?

I take the bowl. – Both will be useful. Can you get some water? – I ask, handing her my bottle. I put half of the nightlock in the bowl and start mashing it with a rock.

-Do you really think that would work? – Foxface says, pointing at the red lumpy mass in the bowl. – I mean, the careers are not genius, but they are not that stupid.

-It will get better. – I pour some water in the bowl and take the biggest pieces of fruit out of the bowl with a knife. – Do you have a cloth or something we can use as a filter?

-Yes. – She responds and hands me a pieces of cloth. I filter the liquid in to the jar, and it ends up being almost as clear as the water, just with a slight shade of pink. Then, I look at the other plants, no one will be useful.

-Can you hand me those apples? – I point at a bag that has five or six apples.

-Why do you need them?

-To take the seeds out.

-And why are you going to do that?

-Because the amounts of poison that we will be able to pour in the bottles isn't strong enough to kill a person, and the plants we have need to be cooked so we can extract the real poison.

-I still don't understand why do you need the apple seeds.

I sigh. – Because in large quantities they are poisonous. – I cut the apples in halves and put the seeds into the bowl. I mash them and mix them with some water. I filter them until there's just a clear liquid left and mix them with the nightlock poison in the jar.

-Well, this is ready. – I say pointing the glass jar. – There are some hours left until the sun rises, do you think we can make it before the careers wake up?

- Yes, they were exhausted. We can do it.

-Yes I think we can. – I say after thinking for a moment. – But we have to be careful; we better get some weapons.

We walk in silence to the pile of supplies; the careers have left most of the weapons with the supplies. Finally, I get to have the silver bow in my hands; the arrows, the quiver, the string, everything is perfect.

-Do you know how to use it? – She says when she sees the bow in my hands.

-Of course I do. Do you know how to use those? – I ask, pointing at my throwing stars that she is holding in her hands.

-No, but I don't really know to use a weapon, besides a knife. What will I do if the careers notice our presence?

-Fight. When the moment comes, you'll know what to do, and if you don't just follow your instincts.

-And what would you do?

-The same. With a little bit of luck I'll be able to take Cato's head off.

-You don't like him, right?

-No. – I say in a tone that lefts clear that this is the end of the conversation.

We keep quiet, searching for more weapons, I decide to take an axe and a sword, along with some knifes. I give some knifes and a sword to Foxface. I take a first-aid kit, some extra bandages and a flashlight, I don't know why, but I think I may need them later.

-I will pour the poison in the bottles and you will keep an eye on them. – I say. – Don't you dare to argue or I will lock you in the cave. – I add before she can complain, and hand her another flashlight.

-Fine. – She sighs.

We walk to the careers camp, and I immediately start searching for their backpacks; I found one with a full water bottle inside. I hide behind a tree and open the bottle, pouring some of the liquid inside, and return it to the back pack. I have done the same with other three bottles when Foxface whispers my name.

-Car…Carolyne… - she whispers in a voice full of fear. – You… you…have to see…something.

-Where are you? – I whisper as soft as I can.

-Up here in the tree. – She whispers and makes me a signal with the flashlight. – Please, be careful.

-Sure. –I say and start climbing the tree where I think she is. – What's the matter? – I ask looking at her scared expression.

-Look at the field that is in one side of the Cornucopia. – She points to the side where I think there was a cliff. I look in the direction and see a field of tall, wheat – like plants; there's a dark, unnatural stain covering part of the field.

-What is it? – I ask in a strangled whisper. – Blood? Water?

-I think they are spiders.

-What?

She points to the lower part of the tree. – And they have arrived! – She says pointing to the arachnids that are climbing the tree. They are bigger than common spiders, they are a dark shade of purple and their fangs resemble the ones of a snake.

-Mutts. – I whisper at the same time that a high-pitched scream reaches my ears. – They have reached the Career camp. – I start climbing even higher, forgetting completely about my ally for some seconds until an agony screams freezes the blood in my veins. – Foxface. – I scream not caring if the careers hear me or not, but for what I hear they are pretty busy.

-No! – I hear Foxface yelling. – Leave me! – She cuts herself with some more agony screams. I don't listen to her and keep going down. When I reach her, she is half covered by the purple spiders, I grab her by the arm and make her stand in her feet; I start taking the spiders off with my hands and some start climbing my legs. Foxface is half unconscious and she is screaming her lungs out. I don't know why until a spider bits the flesh off my shoulder, injecting its venom in my blood stream. I can help but scream and shake in an attempt to take them off me. I somehow manage to take Foxface higher in the tree; she seems to gain some of her consciousness and starts shoving the spiders off her. We keep climbing the tree until the branches crack below us and we start falling into the purple mass.

-We… have to get…to the lake. – I say gasping for air. – That's the…only way… we can…get them off. – She nods and we start climbing down the tree, crushing as much spiders as I can, stabbing some of them with a knife. In the ground, things are even worse, the spiders are covering everything. Somehow, we manage to reach the edge of the lake, but we have been bitten so many times and it seems that the venom is similar to the one of the tracker jackers. After a moment, my vision becomes a blur and my brain becomes a total mess. I don't know what's happening anymore; the only thing in my mind is to shove the spiders off me. I stumble and fall into the lake, the spiders react to the water and start letting go off me. The contact of water in my exposed flesh makes me scream in agony, finishing with my air supply. I reach the surface and try to swim to the other side, where there are no spiders, but that's out of my limits. So, I just keep my head floating over the surface, until I pass out and everything becomes dark.

**I don't know if this was any good, but please let me know what you think in a review!**

**Any question, mistake or suggestion, just tell me in a review!**

**I'll try to update soon, but I don't promise anything.**

**Taylor.**


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Endless torture.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**I'm so sorry for the two weeks it took me to update, but I have been having intensive training during the day and at night I was too exhausted to write something good. **

**This chapter is containing some torture and gore; I tried my best to write it lightly but if you don't like this you don't need to read it; the chapter is not really needed to understand the next chapter. **

**One more thing, everything that in italics are hallucinations.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

My lungs are burning; I'm no longer breathing air, is water what comes into my lungs; I open my eyes to find me completely dived into the lake. How did I get here? I struggle to get to the surface and inhale as much air as I can. Someone or something grabs my hand and starts drowning me. No, the thing is not drowning me, is dragging me. Where? Who? I don't care as long as fresh air gets to my lungs. What am I thinking? Whoever or whatever is dragging me, can be here to kill me. No, he or she would have done it earlier. Or maybe I already died.

I leave myself at the mercy of whoever it is; I don't struggle anymore and even try to swim a little. At some point the hand grabbing my arm looses its grip. The person is exhausted, and we barely make it to the other side.

The effects of the poison are getting worse, I just look around me for a few seconds and I faint.

_-What's your name? – A girl asks me. She has dark brown hair and amber eyes. _

_-Carolyne. – I say hesitantly. – And yours?_

_-Sahara. – She stops. – Do you want to be my best friend? - She asks me with a kind smile._

_-Sure. – I say smiling too. _

_My vision becomes a blur and then everything is darkness. The smiling girl appears at my besides me; she is hiding in a corner, sobbing quietly. A light goes on, we are in a small room with white walls, without visible doors or windows; there are two metal tables, one is full of surgical instruments and the other is empty. A tall man dressed in white robes appears in one side of the room, takes Sahara by the arm and drags her to the metal table in front of me._

_-What are you doing to her? – I scream, but no one seems to hear me._

_The man wraps some restraining bands around Sahara's waist, wrists and ankles, making her unable to move. He takes a scalpel and makes small cuts in her flesh. She starts screaming, but the man slowly continues his work, until he cut al her veins open and he leaves my best friend to bleed to death. Her screams are horrible and he laughs evilly._

_I stand up and try to do something for her, but as I get nearer everything seems to move away from me._

_-You can't do anything, Miss Sunshine. Your little friend is dead and soon your other friends will be too._

_-I don't have any other friends. – I respond in a chocked whisper._

_-No, but they are your loved ones._

_A door appears and two figures dressed in white come in, carrying a small girl. They take Sahara's corpse and leave the other girl in the metal table. Then, they disappear through the same door._

_-Don't you recognize her? – The man asks me. I shake my head slightly. – Don't you remember your poor sister Margaret?_

_I look at the girl; she has light blond hair but her green eyes are just like mines. Silent tears flow down my cheeks; my sister will be tortured in front of me and I won't do anything. _

_The man sees my tears. – Don't worry. I won't cut her veins open. It would be boring. Let's try something different. – He takes another scalpel and impregnates it with a liquid. The,, he starts making deep cuts in my sister's arm. _

_As she screams, I realize that the liquid is acid. After she has been stabbed several times, the man takes the bowl with the acid and pours it on my sister's wounds. She screams even louder and I just stare at her, with the blood frozen in my veins._

_Her torture stops when she can barely breathe and the acid has run out; slowly and painfully she dies. The white figures appear again and replace her corpse with Prim's sleeping body._

_-I'm sure you recognize this one. - The man starts. I don't respond. – This is the one you tried to save. Well, I got news for you: you failed. – He mocks me._

_-You monster! – I hiss with my voice full of venom and my blood boiling with rage._

_-I prefer to be called psychopath. Anyway, you should call me President. –he says cynically._

_I don't respond. I don't know what he is going to do with Prim. I don't really want to know. _

_He walks to one side of the room and opens a faucet and starts filling a bucket. – This is boiling water. – he points out. – Your little sister is going to take a long shower. – He laughs maniacally. He puts the bucket in the metal table and starts pouring it over my sleeping sister. Her screams pierce my ears, tears flow down my cheeks and chocked sobs come from my throat. The screams slowly start to fade as my sister's life flies away. Prim is dead and I can't do anything about it._

_I expected someone else to be tortured but no, instead I found myself walking through a forest. At first, I walk slowly without making noises but when I hear a scream I start running. I run what seem to be several miles until I reach a cliff. I get closer to the edge and look at the land under me; there lies the destroyed corpse of my sister, Katniss. _

_I run to a prairie away from the cliff, I trip over a rock and hit the cold ground covered in snow and ice. My skull cracks against a rock, and I feel the hot blood oozing from the wound. It starts snowing; it doesn't stop, I don't move and in several minutes I'm covered in snow. My lungs start aching, then burning at the lack of oxygen. I feel dizzy and cold. I close my eyes and dive into a dreamless sleep._

_I'm in a rock cavern but I'm not alone. I hear coughs and strengthless voice. I try to stand up but my legs don't respond; I sit u, leaning my back against the rock walls, and to my horror I see that what my legs were now is a lifeless bloody mess. I start screaming and the sound makes the rocks above me to fall. The rocks keep falling and crush every single part of my body, burying me under a ton of rocks._

_I didn't die, I wish I did. I'm surrounded by shadows. When one shadows gets near to me, my vision is blocked and I start seeing everyone whom I care about dying. Foxface eaten by spiders. Cinna killed by President Snow. Prim being boiled. Katniss falling off a cliff. Mom starving to death. Gale blowing up in the mines. And everyone else I love dying in a slowly, painful way._

_At some moment the shadows disappear and I'm left alone. I feel someone, perhaps human, moving close to me. I just feel, I can't see anything, but I think I know who it is. _

_-Dad? – I whisper to the darkness. - Is that you?_

-Yes, my dear. –Dad's voices replies. – I'm here.

-Where am I? – I ask with a shaky voice. – You are holding on to sanity, my dear.

**I don't really know if this was any good, since I wrote it at midnight after one of my recurrent nightmares. Please tell me what you thought about this.**

**Any mistake, suggestion, question or opinion, just post a review. I'll really appreciate it.**

**Next chapter should be up tomorrow. If I don't update, that means I fell asleep before turning on my laptop or that I had writer's block. **

**Have a nice day!**

**Taylor.**


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Announce.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**This was supposed to be up on Tuesday but my Wi-Fi sucks and I couldn't update anything.**

**PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE BOTTOM.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

I wake up at the feeling of my skin burning. The feeling lasts for some seconds and then disappears. When I open my eyes, the sunlight hurts them; I slowly sit up and turn my head to the sides, trying to figure out where I am.

There's a lake in front of me; a forest in the other side of the lake and there's a strange metal structure at my left. The Cornucopia. The Hunger Games, here's where I am. Foxface, where is she? Did she survive the spiders?

The burning sensation returns, and I look at my body. I'm not burning, but parts of my body are covered in bandages, some are lacking flesh and others are bleeding slightly. The wounds don't seem so serious, but after the burning sensation they start itching.

-You woke up. – I hear Foxface's voice at my back.

I turn around to see my ally handing me a bottle of water. I take it and pour the clear liquid into the ground. We might be allies, but I won't drink anything that has been out of my sight for a long time. I don't really like the idea of drinking my own poison.

-What are you doing? – She asks with a frown on her face.

-Making sure I don't make the mistake of drinking poison. - I say innocently.

Blood starts oozing from my arms and I notice that I have been scratching them unconsciously.

-Don't do it. – She says pointing my bleeding arms. – It took a lot of time for you to stop bleeding after I took you out of the lake. I tried to cover all your wounds but we didn't have enough bandages.

-Thanks. – I reply as I refill the bottle with water from the lake.

-You're welcome. – She smiles and hands me my backpack. – Here are your things; I took them out of the lake some hours ago. That's why some things are still wet.

-Thanks again. – I say. – Do you know what happened to my bow and arrows?

-No, but I guess you left them in the tree where we were hiding. You didn't have them with you when we jumped into the lake.

-How much time has happened since we jumped into the lake?

-A day and a half.

-And who died?

-Marvel, the boy from 10, Thresh, and the girl from 4.

-So, we made it to the final eight. Who is still alive?

-Glimmer, Clove, Cato, the boy from 3, Peeta, Rue, you and me. – She looks nervously to the ground, and then she looks at me in the eye. – Do you want to break the alliance now?

We got to the final eight and I'm not looking forward to the final two, but she has been conscious for more time than me after the spider attack, so I need her for information. – No. – I say. – We can stick together for a while more.

-What are we going to do? – She asks clearly relieved about our alliance.

-First, we need to know what happened to the other tributes…

-Glimmer, Clove and Cato are hiding in the forest, near a stream. – She interrupts me. – Peeta isn't with them. – She adds when she sees my questioning face.

-Fine. What happened with their supplies?

-The spiders destroyed most of them. We can go and check if there's something useful. – She says.

-Sure, but later. – I say. – First, I have to get my bow and arrows. We are running out of food and, since the Career's supplies were destroyed, our only source of food will be hunting.

-Well, let's get that bow. – She says.

We pack our things, and we start walking around the lake. We would arrive faster swimming than walking, but if walking is difficult, swimming is impossible.

After what seem to be hours, we arrive to the edge of the forest .Foxface was right, my bow and arrows are in the tree. We don't hunt; I just prepare some snares because we still have some dried beef and crackers.

We decide to have dinner and camp up in the trees. The careers probably won't return here and with a bit of luck, there has been enough fun for the Gamemakers.

-How was your life before you fell from the plane? – She asks suddenly.

-Easier. - I say. – Most of the time. How was your life before the Hunger Games?

-Easier too. Sometimes I wish I could go back in time and change the Reaping.

-I don't wish that. I wish I could go back in time and change the Games. –I sigh.

The sun goes down and we fall asleep, but we wake up at the sound of trumpets and drums. The trumpets and drums are just used to announce the victor or a call to a feast. That must be, a call for a feast.

-Congratulations! – Claudius Templesmith's voice booms. – For the ones who made it into the final eight! – He stops for a moment and then continues. – I have a surprise for every one of you! – He makes another pause. – There has been a rule change. – Did I heard right? We don't even have specified rules. – This year, the Gamemakers have allowed two tributes to win. -Two victors? You have to be kidding me. There have never been two victors. This has to be a trap, making us to make alliance and then smashing all of our hopes. – Yes, you heard right. We'll have two victors this year, as long as they are from the same District. – He haves us a moment to process the information. – That's all and may the odds be ever in your favor.

-Same district. – I mumble distracted. – Peeta. – I turn to meet Foxface's eyes.

-Your district partner is still alive. – She mutters cautiously.

-What happened with yours? – I ask.

-Died in the bloodbath. He was beheaded by Cato. – She says. – You can go, if you want.

-I don't… - I start saying before remembering the "Star-crossed lovers" – I'll start searching for him in the morning. You can come with me if you want.

-No. It will make things worse. – She replies. – Tomorrow morning, we part ways.

-Let's have some sleep. – I say as I drift away.

**Hope you enjoyed, please read, review, follow or favorite!**

**I have a question for you:**

**Do you think I should include Rue's death or something else about Rue? **

**Please send me your answer in a review, so the next chapter can be up earlier.**

**Taylor.**


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37: New Alliance.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

-How on Earth am I supposed to find him? – I mumble. It must be two or three in the morning; I have been talking to myself for four or five hours since Foxface fell asleep.

I have to find Peeta; if I don't do it, the audience won't believe in the Star-crossed lovers, they'll hate me and I won't have sponsors. Right now, I don't need them but they can be useful later. The problem is that I don't know where the hell he is; I haven't seen him since the spider attack, I just know that he isn't with the Careers anymore. If I manage to find him and he is injured, he'll make me vulnerable.

Then, there's the alliance I made with Foxface. I consider her a friend but she will have to die in order for me to get home alive. What I need is someone to kill her, and that will probably have to be a Career.

The careers are other problem; it isn't wise to attack them while they are still together, so the only option is to wait until they have turned on each other and then kill them one by one. But that would take at least another two days, and if there are no deaths soon the Gamemakers will make our life hell.

Gamemakers, another problem to add to the list. For what I know, Snow doesn't like me and, right now, I'm at his mercy. How can I know that they are not planning to kill me tonight?

-Hey. – I hear someone whispering. In seconds, I have my bow loaded and ready to shoot.

-Don't be so paranoid. I'm not going to kill you. – The person is standing in a branch at my left. Judging by the weight is has to be Rue; the other tributes are too heavy.

-Haven't you noticed that we are in the Hunger Games? – I ask sarcastically. – We are supposed to kill each other.

-I came to offer a deal… but if you don't want to listen… - she whispers offended.

I look around to see if Foxface has woken up. She hasn't. – You are Rue, right? – I want to be sure if I'm actually talking to her or to another tribute.

-Yes. Want to her the deal or not?

-Yes, but only if you came closer to the light. – I want to see her, just in case I have to shoot at her.

She walks in the edge of the branch, coming nearer to me until the moonlight makes me able to see her face.

-Here I am. – She says.

-Fine, now talk. – I say harshly. The less time I waste, the better.

-I know you want to find Peeta, your district partner. – She starts cautiously. I nod. – You don't know where he is. – I nod again. – But I do, and I will tell you.

-Fine, tell me. – I order.

-First, you have to break your alliance and then… - she stops, thinks for a while and then, continues. – make an alliance with…me.

-And alliance? Are you crazy? We are at the final eight.

-Maybe it's stupid, - she sighs. – but I'm sick of being alone. I'm scared of dying alone. And I trust in you.

-How can you trust in me? We have never talked. I can kill you in your sleep if I want. – No, I can't kill her. I'm not such a monster or am I? I don't know anymore.

-Do you have the courage to kill me in my sleep? –she asks.

-Yes. – I answer. I see in her eyes that she doesn't believe in me.

-Please? – She looks at me with her big amber eyes full of tears.

I can't for an alliance, not this late in the Games. Well, I have an ally, but I have her just for information. Rue has information; information about where Peeta is. I need that information, besides, how much damage can it cause to ally with Rue. She'll die anyway. – Fine. – I sigh. – Just wait until tomorrow. We'll meet here at midday.

-Great. I'll see you later. – She disappears between the branches and leaves.

I only hope this was the right thing to do.

-Good morning. – I say when I see that Foxface is no longer asleep.

-Morning. – She says tired. – Don't you think we should split our supplies and weapons in halves?

-Yes. – I say. – But let's have breakfast first.

-Do you have any food? – She asks.

-Not sure. Last night I set some snares but I don't know if they caught anything. – I say, walking towards the place where my snares are. One of them caught a rabbit, but the others are empty.

I return with Foxface and show her the rabbit.

-Are we going to eat it raw? – She asks with a grimace.

-No, unless you want to get rabbit fever. – I say while recollecting some dry wood.

She looks at me with surprise. – Are you lighting a fire? Are you insane? The Careers will see it.

-If they come, we just hide in the trees. None of them can climb trees, they are too heavy. – I say as I light the fire.

-Fine, but don't take too long. After breakfast we are moving from here.

I skin and gut the rabbit, and then I cut it in pieces and start cooking them over the fire.

We have breakfast and prepare our things, then we head to the Cornucopia; we want to see if there is something useful there.

We just find some knifes and a sleeping bag. I take a bottle of water, what is left from wire, the rope, half of the matches, one of the sleeping bags, the sunglasses, my bow and arrows, an axe, a sword, a flashlight, a first aid kit and some knifes.

It's around 11 AM when we are finally ready to part ways. – Goodbye, Foxface. – I say staring at her.

-You are never going to call me Finch. Are you?

-I will, when you earn my respect.

-Probably never. – She replies with a sigh.

-Yes, probably never. Goodbye. – I'm about to turn around and start walking, when she hugs me. I'm surprised and I return her the hug, fighting my tears. – Take care. – I whisper and I run to the place where I agreed to meet with Rue.

When I arrive to the place, I see no one. Maybe she set a trap for me. How couldn't I see it earlier? How could I have been such an idiot? If I continue like this, I'll end up shouting a boy from District 6 to return my knife. Well, if this was a trap, I have to move away from here.

I start walking slowly, cautiously when I see her standing on a branch above my head.

-You weren't planning on leaving, right? – She asks in a hurt voice. – We have an alliance.

-I couldn't see you. – I say defensively. – I forgot of looking at the trees.

-Do you want me to show you where he is? – She suggests.

Oh, yes. I forgot about Peeta. I'm not sure about it; if I ally with him I'll have to show romance to the audience and if I don't ally with him, they'll hate me.

The thought of romance is already making me sick, let's hope I don't throw up if I kiss him.

-What do you think if we eat something first? – I ask, trying to change of suspect.

-Sure. I have some roots and berries. - She looks suspiciously at me. –Do you have something else?

Maybe she saw the smoke of our campfire. I nod and take out the pieces of rabbit. We sit in the ground, leaning against a log, eating our food. It's great to have allies, but alliance can't last forever.

I can't imagine what made Rue to trust in me. No one in his right mind would trust in me without knowing me. I don't know why I trust in Rue. Everything seems so illogical, maybe that's what the Games do to your life, they make it illogical.

-Why do you trust in me? – I ask before realizing what I'm doing.

-I'm not sure. I have been watching you since I saw your Reaping, and I feel like I can really trust in you. - She says. – Why do you trust in me?

-I don't know, maybe I'm sick of being alone too.

-I have never been alone. I'm the oldest of six kids and I have lots of cousins. The worst thing that has happened to me is being alone. Don't you hate being alone? – She asks sadly.

-Most of the time I prefer being alone, that way I don't have to worry about anyone but myself. But too much time of being alone is painful to the point that you end up feeling nothing. – I say with a sigh; that's partially true, I prefer being alone and it's painful but you keep feeling and your worries get worse.

-I love singing. It's like a tradition for us to sing at home, at school and at work. Music brings happiness and hope to our lives. – She says with a smile.

I smile. – I love music too. There's a meadow in front of my house; sometimes mockingjays appear there. If I found them I sing for them and they reply.

-We have mockingjays in District 11 too. We sing together every day.

We continue talking about our lives back at home. When she mentions how much she misses her family, I wish I had never talked to her.

-Do you really know where Peeta is? – I ask.

-I think so. Last time I saw him, he was down the stream.

-When was that?

-Some hours before asking you to make an alliance.

-Do you know if he has moved from there?

-No, but I can show you now where he was.

I look at the sky, the sun is setting down and it will be dark in a few minutes. – No, it's too late. Tomorrow after breakfast, we start searching for him.

The sky goes dark and stars appear on it; the anthem starts playing and the Capitol seal appears. The anthem finishes and the seal disappears.

-No one died. – I whisper. That means that the Gamemakers are planning the next twist for the Games. I hope they had found something better than flesh-eating insects.

-What do you think they'll do next? – Rue asks.

-I don't know. Let's try to sleep while we can.

-Do you want to seep in the ground? – She asks.

-I think we will be better in a tree. – I answer. We heavily climb up the tree, I take out the sleeping bag and we get in. She immediately closes her eyes and her breathing becomes slower. I stay up for a while more, trying to guess what waits for us tomorrow.

**Sorry if this was too long or boring. I know that the Gamemakers are being too slow, but the next chapter should be up Monday or Tuesday.**

**Thanks to reviewers, followers and favorites.**

**Any mistake, question, suggestion or opinion, just tell me in a review.**

**Taylor.**


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Fire and Snow.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**On Sunday, I fell from a tree at my lake house and broke my left arm ( thanks god, I can still use my right one), so I got 2 month free from gymnastics, piano and violin and I'll probably update more often.**

**Last chapter was sort of a filler but it was needed for some other parts of the story.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

When I wake up, the first thing I see is the cloudy sky above my head. The sky looks like is about to snow but the temperature seems to be higher than ever.

I step out of the sleeping bag, trying not to wake Rue, but since she had her head resting against my shoulder, she wakes up immediately.

-Good morning. – She says happily, or as happy as you can be during the Games. – I'm hungry; can we have breakfast?

-Sure, but we don't have any meat. We only have your berries and roots.

-That's fine for me. – She says.

I just nod and sigh. I'm so hungry that I would eat a horse.

-Are you going to show me where Peeta is? – I ask while we eat.

-Yes, - She says with a sad face. – but later.

-We need meat. I have to hunt, but there are no preys here. – I say.

-We can move to the other side of the stream. I'm sure that there are more rabbits there, and we can fill our bottles.

-And after that you can show me where Peeta is. - I say, trying to look anxious to find him.

-If you want to find Peeta before sunset, we need to start moving now. – She replies keeping the anxious tone.

We walk in silence, because we don't really have anything to say and we need to be aware of any sound.

-Are you really in love? – She asks. – I mean you and Peeta.

My first impulse is to scream "No" but that won't help anyone. – I don't know. He said he loved me and I can't say I don't like him. – She looks at me with her amber eyes full of confusion. – I think I wouldn't be able to live without him. – I force myself to say.

-That's so cute. – She giggles, before noticing the nervous look in my face. – Don't worry, you'll find him. – We keep in silence after that.

By the time when we arrive at the stream, the temperature has risen and it feels like being in an oven; we decide to swim and fish.

After swimming, we catch two fishes and we eat them raw; the Games have been slow and I don't want to risk a meeting with the Careers.

At midday the sky is a dark shade of grey and some minutes later it is dark red, the same color of blood.

-Do you think it will rain? – Rue asks.

-Maybe. The real problem is what will be raining?

-Huh?

-When have you seen the sky this red?

-Never, I think.

-That's my point. When it rains the sky is grey, not red… Perhaps, it is related to the next twist that the Gamemakers are planning to make our life hell…

A flash of lightning, shortly followed by the sound of thunder interrupts my words. I feel the temperature rising, from what seemed to be 40° to 50° or maybe more. The sky gets a brighter shade of red, almost orange and the air fills with the essence of sulfur. Fire starts pouring from the sky and an enormous wall of fire forms between Rue and me, threatening to engulf any of us at any moment.

Other walls like this appear at different parts of the woods, some of them near to me, some others closer to the lake. I can't help Rue, so I start running as fast as I can. As I run, the wall fire chases me and encloses me between more fire walls. I can't breathe, the air is filled with smoke; I have to get out of here or die but the only way out is through the walls.

I launch myself into the fire crossing several walls before getting to a relatively safe place. My clothes and hair are burning, so I roll in the ground for several minutes, trying to extinguish the fire. I take my water bottle from my backpack and use the liquid to extinguish the remains of fire. I drink a little and start coughing. I rest for some seconds, trying to regain my breath.

When I'm slightly recovered, I run in the direction of the stream trying my best to avoid the fire; the smoke is heavier and the sulfur is making my lungs burn. Most of the water in the stream is gone; everything is burning or already burnt.

I follow what is left of the stream in an attempt to find a place that is not burning. I don't run much, the smoke is cutting my air supply and I don't have much energy. I manage to reach a pond before I start throwing up.

After emptying my stomach, I try to recognize my surrounding. I don't know where I am, but maybe I can find my way back by following the stream. My visibility is poor and the air is still filled with smoke, though, it isn't that dangerous here. I must be four or five miles away from our camp and one or two away from where the fire ended.

I look at my body; my clothes are burnt in some parts, like the edge of my pants and the sleeves and hood of my jacket. Some parts of my arms and legs are red and covered in welts. My face and my throat hurt from coughing and throwing up.

I look at my backpack, which now is almost useless. It is almost completely burnt, but at least the supplies in the inside survived. I still have my sleeping bag, the knifes , the sunglasses, the rope and wire, the matches and the first aid kit along with my water bottle and some roots. I left my axe, sword, bow and arrows at our camp.

I try to heal my burns, but I can't do much beside soaking them in antiseptic and covering them in bandages. I take my hair in my hands and look at it; it is at least half its length and the ends are completely burnt.

I sigh. – Damned Gamemakers, when I say that you would make our life hell, I was using metaphors. – I scream as loud as my lungs can.

I don't have anything to do; besides watching the fire destroying everything and drinking as much water as I can. I slowly fall asleep, completely exhausted, but the pain in my body wakes me up.

When the fire is completely extinguished and the visibility improves, I decide to return to our camp.

All the grass and most of the plants have been burnt; just some dry trees and rocks are left. No visible sign of animals or water. I recognize the site of our camp when I see my weapons lying against a pile of ashes.

I retrieve them, and walk in the direction Rue must have followed. After I walked some miles, a vision leaves me breathless and speechless. There is a corpse, almost burned to ashes; the skin and flesh no longer exist and the bones are burnt to the point that they are completely black.

I'm shaking and I hit the ground with my knees, in a ordinary occasion I would have stand up and walk away but I can't; the sight of Rue's corpse has left me petrified in horror. The girl who hated being alone, who loved her family more than anything, who used to sang along with mockingjays, the girl who promised to show me where Peeta was, and the girl who was my friend, has been reduced to ashes. No longer breathing, no longer singing, no longer alive.

I stay frozen, kneeling in front of Rue, breathing the essence of sulfur and coughing occasionally. Snow starts falling from the sky, which now is a pale shade of grey instead of blood red. I may freeze to the bone, but I can't take my eyes off her corpse. The cruelty of her death shows me my own sins; it shows me that I'm not that different from Snow and the Gamemakers.

Time passes slowly, and the snow starts covering us. I can't feel the cold; I just know that it helps to numb my pain. The snow falls steady and constant, with some breezes of cold wind that move the branches of the few trees that escaped the fire, resulting in a sound that makes me comfortable in some creepy way. That scream-like sound makes me feel safe, or at least alive. Right now, I don't feel anything and that sound is the only thing that reminds me that I'm still alive, maybe insane, but alive.

The sky gets darker and darker every second; the day must be near its end. I take my weapons and walk away from the place; the corpse is not visible anymore, it is buried under the snow.

As I walk, I try to forget that she was my friend, I try to forget that has a family, I try to forget everything about her, and I try to forget that I can't succeed. A part of my mind, doesn't want to forget; forgetting makes me feel a worst person, but remembering it's painful.

-I'm a mess. – I tell myself in a sigh. – You know that anybody will be able to kill you if you keep like this. – I need a plan, and a place to sleep away from the snow. And I need to find Peeta, if he is still alive. But first I need to rest.

I walk into the woods that weren't damaged by the fire and climb one of the first trees I see. I sit there, waiting for the anthem to start paying and the deaths to be shown in the sky. To my surprise, the only face was Rue's.

I laugh sardonically. That must have been a good slap in the face for the Gamemakers; the fire should have killed at least four tributes and it only killed one. Good to know that I'm not the only one suffering.

I decide to sleep while I can; since Peeta is alive, I'll start looking for him tomorrow morning. I can't give myself the luxury of living him alone much more time. It's a matter of time for the Gamemakers to change their minds and the rules. And the audience can change their minds too, and that will accelerate the process in the Gamemakers' heads.

My eyes feel heavy and my body is numb with exhaustion. I take out my sleeping bag and get inside it. I'm about to close my eyes when the sound of a branch cracking under the pressure of someone walking.

I fold my sleeping bag and climb higher in the tree. I see the shine of three torches against the darkness of the night. Great, it can only be the Careers and I have a plan for them.

I climb down the tree and start walking aimlessly, sobbing quietly. I hear the Careers moving faster in my direction and when I'm sure they can see me, I break down, crying desperately and calling Peeta's name.

**Well, that was longer than I expected hope you enjoyed!**

**Any mistake, question, suggestion or opinion, just tell me in a review.**

**Taylor Victoire.**


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Lies

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

-Isn't that cute, Cato? – Glimmer laughs. – She is crying for Lover boy.

-Poor little Carolyne. – Clove says with the same tone you use when calling a baby. – Such a bad thing, you are not going to see your boyfriend anymore…

-You are wrong, girls. – Cato interrupts. – She is going to see Lover boy, when we kill him. – The three of them laugh.

They have me cornered against a tree, and they have been joking about this for twenty minutes. I have been weeping for the same amount of time, but I'm pretty much bored now, and I think it's time to put my plan into action.

I wipe the tears from my face, and stand straight. – You are such an idiot. – Cato stops laughing and stares at me.

-What? – He snarls.

- Do you really think that I love him? – I say.

-Maybe you love him, maybe not. Who cares? – Glimmer says. – We are going to kill him and then we'll kill you.

-So you now where he is? – I ask with a smile in my face.

-Of course we do. – Clove snaps.

-Where is him? – I ask, wiping the smile off my face.

-We won't tell you. – Cato says.

-Why not? – I ask.

-Because it is none of your business. – Glimmer says irritated.

-Or because you don't know where he is? – I say annoyingly.

-We KNOW where HE is. – Cato yells and takes his sword.

-Then, tell me. – I say grabbing the knife from my pocket and hiding it behind my back.

-Why do you want to know? – Glimmer asks. – You said you don't love him.

-Well, you're right. I don't love him; I don't even care about him. - I shrug. – I just want to kill him myself.

-Why would you want to kill him if he is your district partner? – Clove asks suspiciously. – Didn't you hear the rule change? Don't you know you can win with him?

-I heard the rule change and I know that I can win with him. But I want to win by myself, without anyone's help. – I say, looking at her eyes.

-Do you think we will let you win? – Cato laughs.

-No, but maybe we can form an alliance. – I say full of confidence.

-Why would we form an alliance with you? – Clove asks and pulls a knife close to my eye.

-Because I know where the boy from 3 and the girl from 5 are. – I lie. – I can tell you, if you tell me where Peeta is. – I'm taking a great risk saying this, I don't know where the hell they are but maybe the Careers do.

-What do you think, Cato? – Glimmer asks, clearly thinking about my offer.

-Who assures us that you are not lying? – Cato asks.

-You are three Careers. You have weapons and you have me cornered against this tree. Seriously, do you think I would lie to you? – I say hiding the knife in my pocket.

-Who said we don't know where the other tributes are? – Cato keeps asking.

-Your last question does. – I say coldly. He looks at me with confusion painted in his face. – Why would you care if I lie to you if you don't need the information? – I explain as I roll my eyes.

-Well, we don't know where the other tributes are but we can find them when we want. – Cato says. – We are better than you!

-If you a better than me, why hadn't you found them? – I ask.

-Because… - he doubts for a moment. – Because…we don't want too.

-Stop. –Clove yells. – You are falling into her trap.

-What trap? – I ask innocently. – I'm just offering my help.

-Of course you are offering your help and then when we accept you in the alliance you will open our throats and take our eyes out. – She says.

-I have never thought of that. –I reply offended.

-Stupid girl, you are lying to us. – She says as she nails me to the tree with her right hand and makes a cut on my right cheek with the knife on her left hand.

-Clove! – Glimmer says. – Stop! She can be useful!

-Glimmer is right, she doesn't even defend herself. – Cato continues.

-Don't you remember, she is the one who calls you "idiot" every time she sees you? – Clove says annoyed. – Or that she scored an 11 at training? She is everything but defenseless.

-Yes but she's our best option to find the others. – Cato says.

-So she will be in our alliance? – Glimmer says with a grimace.

-Yes. – Cato replies, clearly ending the conversation. He turns around and looks at me. – Now, show us where the girl from 5 is.

-Not tonight. – I say.

-Why not?

-I don't know if you do but I don't want to die frozen. – I reply.

-If you are not useful for us, you can't be our ally. Or you show us where the girl is or I kill you. – He says.

-But you said we would kill lover boy first so that it would be more painful to her. – Glimmer complains. – I wanted to see her horrified face when we killed Lover boy in front of her,

-Good luck with that! – I exclaim as I laugh.

-Later, Glimmer. – Cato says and takes out his sword, putting the blade against my neck. – Stop laughing and guide us.

I take a deep breath. – It is snowing, and there are many probabilities that it won't stop tonight. – I wait for a minute to see if he understands. – If it doesn't stop and we don't light a fire, we will die of hypothermia. – He doesn't answer; he just stares at me with anger shining in his eyes.

-She's right, Cato. – Clove says cautiously. – We should camp here.

-No. – He yells, but the look on Clove's eyes returns him to reality.- Fine, we will camp here. I'll start a fire, and then we will have dinner. – He points Glimmer. – You can help me with the fire while Clove watches her.

When the fire is done, they start eating while I lay my back against the same three where I was almost an hour ago. Glimmer and Cato are laughing and playing at one side of the campfire and Clove sits away from them, but facing me. She decided not to pay attention to me for the last 10 minutes and she uses lizards as targets for her knifes.

-Come nearer to the fire, twelve. – She says and indicates me a spot next to her. – We don't want you to die so painlessly. – She says as she caresses her knife.

-Thanks for being so considerate. – I say sarcastically as I sit beside her.

-You are welcome. – She replies with a smirk. – Now, tell me.

-Tell you what? – I ask with confusion.

-Do you really hate lover boy so much that you want to kill him? – She asks grinning. – Do you really want to kill him so bad that you took the risk of allying with us?

-Yes. – I say simply, I don't want to continue talking about this because it will end either with Clove or the audience no longer believing in me. – I thought you would have killed her by now. – I say as I point Glimmer, who is laughing at Cato or something like that.

-I would love to do that, but there is this rule in which we can't kill our allies from 1 and 4 until we are the only ones left. – She says with a bored tone.

-And what happened with the boy from 4? – I ask as I remember how he was beheaded by Cato.

-He wasn't useful. – She says with indifference.

-And is _she_ really useful? – I ask in disbelief. She turns around to see Cato putting food in his head and Glimmer joking about it.

-Well, they both are jerks, - she sighs. – But they both can use a spear or a sword. If they become useless for me, I'll get rid of them; the same goes with you. – She stays silent for a while. – You know I don't believe in you.

-Why not? – I ask faking surprise, though, I'm not really surprised: she is by far the most intelligent in the Career pack this year.

-When we found you, you were crying Peeta's name, and you keep like that for twenty minutes or so. – She holds her knife in her hand and I can see that she is prepared to kill me at any moment.

-I was pretending. – That's the truth, I was pretending for the audience… and the Careers too. – And I did it to gain you attention too.

-I'm sure you are lying, but I'll go to sleep. – She says with a yawn. -

-Aren't you afraid of being killed in your sleep? – I ask.

-You wouldn't dare, and I sleep with a knife by my side. – She responds, emphasizing the word "knife". –Maybe that's the best option I have… – she stops and seems to think it better. - … apart from winning.

She lays her back in the floor and closes her eyes; I do the same and wait until Cato and Glimmer are asleep too. When everyone left is asleep I stand up and walk away, heading to the Cornucopia.

**I'm so sorry I took more than two weeks to update, but I have been extremely busy and I just couldn't find time to update. I hope you don't hate me for this. I would love to promise to update more but school starts tomorrow and I don't know when I'll be able to update but I'll update as soon as I can.**

**Anyway, I want to thank CatchingFire75 and Mikael Jehocutt for their amazing reviews; and all the ones who have review, followed or favorite. **

**Any mistake, question, opinion or suggestion just tell me in a review or PM me.**

**Victoire**


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Messages.

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**Sorry for the long time but I have been pretty busy with school and homework.**

**I got a new poll on my profile so please vote on it, so I can write the next chapter faster.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please, read and review!**

I walk through the undamaged woods until I find the tree where I hid my supplies and weapons. My original plan was to go to the Cornucopia and start tracking Peeta from there, but that would be impossible without any food, water or weapons.

I reach the tree and I gather my supplies; I'm freezing, as I predicted the snow hasn't stopped from falling and since part of my clothes were burnt, they aren't that warm anymore. I wish I could make a fire and sleep beside it, wrapped inside my sleeping bag, and away from the cold but that would be foolish.

I was thinking on sticking with the Careers, but that would be too risky, maybe they decide to kill me tomorrow morning or to kill me while I sleep, so I decided to find Peeta by myself and see what happens after that. Another reason to leave the Careers is to keep sponsors, I'm sure that I lost a few if not all with my little trick.

I walk, following a stream that is at my left, hoping that this leads me to Peeta, and not to other tribute that I'll have to kill. If this stream is not useful, I'll follow the other ones that run through the woods and my last resort would be to return to the lake.

I must have walked two or three miles following the stream when I hear a muffled voice; the voice belongs to a shadow that is leaning against a tree on the other side of the stream.

-Mines. – The voice says. – I have to get those mines; I have to turn them on and plant them all over the Arena. – The voice stops. – No tribute will be able to escape. Tomorrow the real hell will begin. – By this point I have already crossed the stream and I'm just a few yards away from the boy from District 3.

-Yes, the real hell will begin for you, moron. – I mumble to myself. I won' let him continue with his plans, he will die in the morning, though, he could die right now, but it wouldn't be as entertaining. So I return to my side of the stream and I continue walking, hoping to find Peeta before the sun rises.

One hour passes, then two and I haven't seen the slightest sign of Peeta's presence, the sun must be about to rise and the Careers should be waking up in a few hours.

I decide to climb a tree and see if any tribute has started a fire. I choose to climb a tall willow that is a few yards at the left of the stream. I'm not lucky, since there isn't any smoke nor visible movement. I climb down the tree and keep following the stream.

Maybe I'm not thinking right, maybe I made some mistakes. He needs water to survive, so he needs to be near a stream, pond or lake. The lake that is besides the Cornucopia is too dangerous since it is at an open space; any tribute would find him there, so he has to be in near a stream or a pond. I have been following the same stream, and the only person I have seen is the boy from 3, which I suspect is about to lose his mind. Anyway, I can keep on following this stream or I can follow any other; I'll prefer to keep on following this stream until the end, but I don't know where it finishes and I don't think I'll have enough time to search through all the arena.

He will need food too, but I don't know if he has sponsors to send him food, or if he is recollecting roots and berries or if he knows how to hunt. If he has sponsors, which I highly doubt, he can be anywhere; on the other hand, if he is recollecting or hunting, he will have to be in a specific area.

If the Careers weren't lying to me, he should have been near to their camp; so that must be a good place to search too, except for the small detail, that I don't know where the Careers where before they found me.

Then, there's the possibility that the Careers injured him and left him to die a slow and painful death. If that's the case, Peeta will pass from a useful ally to a trouble.

And all of this information leads me to my last resort: Haymitch, the drunken victor who can't stand to be in the same room with me for more than half an hour. The worst thing is not that we don't really like each other; the worst thing is that there is no form in which I can communicate with him, except from shouting to the sky to tell me where the heck Peeta is, and for some strange reason I don't think that would work.

So, I keep on following the goddamn stream. By the time the sun rises, the stream has frozen and I'm on my way to suffer the same fate; my hair is covered with frost and my body is so numb and cold to the point that I'm afraid that my earlobes and the tip of my nose will fall.

I have two options, either I start a fire and risk a meeting with the Careers or I don't make any fire and risk a death by hypothermia. I decide to start a fire, at least that way I can fight the Careers and get a step closer from District 12.

I start my fire and hunt a rabbit, which I cook and eat in less than half an hour. Nobody has come near to me, except for a squirrel that didn't even feel the arrow piercing its skull, and that's going to become my lunch.

Midday arrives and I haven't done anything but eat the squirrel, but then I hear a strange sound and I see something shining in the sky.

I watch the sky as a metallic object falls in front of my campfire. It is a pot made out of metal attached to a silver parachute. I jump too my feet and take the parachute in my hands. I open it and take out a single piece of paper. "Don't play with fire" it's the only thing written on the paper.

-Can you be a little more specific, Haymitch? – I ask aloud. – Because this… - I move the paper in front of my face. – Tells me nothing.

Not even two minutes have passed when another message appears hanging from a parachute. "Use your brains" says the new message.

– Are you drunk? –I ask hatefully. – Can't you send me a paper telling me where Peeta is?

Seconds later, a message arrives. "No" it says simply. I'm about to reply when the next message arrives. "At least try to use your brains."

-Can you send me a pencil? - I request. He is probably cursing me right now but I think I know what he is playing.

As I thought the next paper says "No".

-Can you send me water?

The instant reply is "No". My face breaks into a huge grin.

-I'm freezing. – I exclaim.

I take all the pieces of paper and I sit nearer to the campfire. I take the first paper and move it in front of me until the light from the fire reflects directly into it. A new message appears around the black printed letters. "You won't find him if you keep on following the stream." I take the second paper and start reading it. "He is on the other side of the arena ". The third message says: "In the field." I take the fourth one and look for the next message: "The Careers are searching for you; Two seems really pissed off. Be careful."

I smile widely and start preparing my stuff, I take my weapons and I drink half my bottle of water. I leave the campfire burning and start walking to the place where I found the boy from District 3.

As I walk, an insane laughter leaves my throat while a single thought fills my mind.

**I'm so sorry I have taken almost a month to update and I don't have any excuse except for the fact that I had writer's block. So this chapter was written on my Math class because my teacher was talking about codes. **

**I hope I can have the next chapter for next Thursday but I can't promise anything.**

**One more thing, please, please, please vote on the new poll in my profile so I can write the next chapter faster.**

**Please don't forget to review, follow, favorite or PM me. **

**Victoire.**


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